On 4th February 2025, an important seminar was held at the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, where our colleagues doc. Ing. Jan Mráz, Ph.D. and Ing. Jan Kašpar from the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters USB presented important findings on fish in nutrition and health.
Professor Adámková from IKEM emphasized the importance of a quality diet full of nutrients for a healthy lifestyle. Assoc. Professor Jan Mráz from the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters USB discussed several joint projects between the faculty and IKEM, which aimed to demonstrate the positive effect of fish consumption in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases thanks to omega-3 fatty acids. The project developed a patented technology for carp farming with a high content of omega-3 acids.
A group of people with cardiovascular disease who were fed a twice-weekly 200 gram serving of omega-3 carp for 4 weeks showed a decrease in "bad" LDL cholesterol and an increase in "good" HDL cholesterol. A side effect of the study was significantly faster wound healing and thus faster recovery after bypass surgery.
The second major project aimed at getting quality fish products into schools and kindergartens was a joint project with Tilapia s.r.o. supplying products under the Happy Fish Delicates brand. In this project, a range of fish products suitable for the very young was developed and tested. It turned out that children like fish in forms and shapes that they know well from eating regular food, e.g. hamburgers, chevapcici, ducats, meatballs, sausages, hams, strips or catfish cutlets. A bonus of the study was the finding that child diners usually don't have much of a problem with the natural colouring of fish dishes and prefer simple combinations on the plate.
How to teach the population to eat freshwater fish regularly? How to serve them in such a way that they are attractive and enticing to eat? And how to break the resistance associated with eating fish?
Jan Kašpar pointed to practical experience with their solution and stressed the need for long-term targeted strategic promotion, whose coordination and support should come primarily from the state. He also drew attention to the possibility of cooperation in the framework of innovation and optimisation of technological procedures, targeted seminars for public catering staff and other activities aimed at raising awareness and making fish and fish products available to the general public.
You can watch the full recording of the seminar here.
