UPV researcher acquires utility model for tuna jerky

A utility model (UM) for tuna jerky is one of the latest additions to the list of registered intellectual property (IP) of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS) of UP Visayas.

Rose T. Mueda, a researcher at the CFOS’s Institute of Fish Processing Technology recently acquired a utility model for the composition of sweetened tuna jerky.

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) issued the notice of registration and issuance of certificate for said technology on March 13, 2022, exactly one year after the IP application was filed last March 12, 2021, through the UPV Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (UPV-TTBDO). The IP was registered on August 27, 2021, as reflected in the IPHOPHIL patent database.

A utility model (UM) allows the owner the right to restrict others from commercially exploiting the UM without her/his permission. The owner is entitled to seven years of protection from the date of filing.

The utility model discloses a tuna jerky product in a sweet variant that uses natural plant extract as preservatives. This utility model describes the preferred characteristics and nutritional properties of the sweet tuna jerky product.

This dried tuna jerky product is a healthy and all-natural on-the-go snack. Its distinct flavor comes from the meticulous pairing of all-natural components with tuna white meat that has been thoroughly trimmed, seasoned, and dried.

Last year, the IP application for the process of producing tuna jerky using natural plant extracts was also approved. The utility model reveals a simple and quick method for preserving tuna jerky with natural plant extract. Plant extracts are employed as natural preservatives and flavorings, resulting in a high-quality, safe, and shelf-stable product compared with using salt, which is frequently used in fish preservation.

Records from the UPV TTBDO show that CFOS has registered a total of 50 intellectual properties from 2016 to 2022. Of which 27 are utility models, 21 are copyrighted materials, and two are industrial designs.

These were produced by its researchers and faculty members who have transformed knowledge into innovations for the benefit of the public.

Among the registered utility models are the method and composition of microalgal paste; oyster powder, algal concentrator, fermented copra meal (FCM) for shrimp (Paneaus monodon) and bangus (Chanos chanos), method of transporting live mud crabs, and a process of producing green mussel D-hinged larvae for hatchery culture.

Some of the copyrighted materials include low-salt fermented mussel sauce as potential functional food and ingredient, general steps in bottled sardine processing as well as steps in processing sardine hamonado, tuyo, patis and lamayo; handbooks on fish bottling and canning, fish smoking, and surimi processing; the process of deboning milkfish, basic laboratory techniques on microbiology, and good manufacturing practices for sardine products.

The two registered industrial designs are the longline mussel aquaculture and mud crab transport box. (Lenilyn Basco-Gallos, CFOS)

*FICA is the brand of a startup company, Roselient Processed Food Manufacturing