Doctoral Defense in Food Science – Carina Eveline M. Pina Fernandes

On Wednesday, 10 December 2025, Carina Eveline M. Pina Fernandes will defend her doctoral thesis in food science at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland. The thesis is titled: Product development from well-fed Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) with emphasis on hot-smoking and canning.

The opponents are Dr. Heidi Nilsen, Research Director at Nofima in Tromsø, Norway, and Dr. Santiago Aubourg, Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Spain.

The supervisors were Dr. María Guðjónsdóttir, Professor, and Sigurjón Arason, Professor Emeritus. Also serving on the doctoral committee were Dr. Hildur Inga Sveinsdóttir, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Tumi Tómasson from GRÓ – The Fisheries Training Programme.

Dr. Ólafur Ögmundarson, Associate Professor and Head of the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, will preside over the ceremony, which takes place in the Ceremonial Hall (Hátíðasalur) of the University of Iceland and begins at 13:00.

Abstract
The study aimed to assess the suitability of mackerel caught in Icelandic waters during the summer months during its peak feeding season as a safe, convenient raw material for ready-to-eat fish products destined for both Icelandic and international markets. Several processing techniques - including brining, freezing, frozen storage, hot-smoking, and canning - were examined to optimize methods tailored to common mackerel products. Special emphasis was placed on optimising the hot-smoking and canning procedures, which are widely acknowledged for their effectiveness in both domestic and industrial contexts.

In the study the shelf-life of deep-skinned smoked fillets, either from fresh or frozen Atlantic mackerel, stored at 1 °C, was determined to be at least 21 days. Since only minor quality differences were observed between the fresh and frozen hot-smoked fillets, and the products remained stable during the storage trial from both raw materials, processing of frozen fillets was assessed as a suitable raw material for production of high-quality hot-smoked mackerel products all year round.

The study also evaluated the quality of canning the mackerel after smoking, by examining how the order of processing and the filling medium affect the quality of the final products. Overall, canning the smoked fillets ensured microbial safety by eliminating L. monocytogenes, in compliance with quality standards. Canned smoked fillets exhibited enhanced sensory quality throughout storage at room temperature. Furthermore, freezing before smoking is preferable for deep-skinned mackerel fillets intended for canning.

The study revealed that well-fed Atlantic mackerel, caught during their summer feeding migration in Icelandic waters, are not only a valuable source for producing fishmeal, fish oil, or for commercialisation as frozen fish. It also highlights their industrial viability and suitability for creating nutrient-rich smoked and canned fillets for human consumption. Frozen fillets, which are suitable for long-term storage, provide new opportunities for the seafood industry to utilise frozen mackerel throughout the year, both for hot-smoked and canned products.

About the doctoral candidate
Carina Eveline M. Pina Fernandes was born in 1979 in Cape Verde. She graduated with a B.Sc. degree in biology from the University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 2003 and completed a master’s degree in marine biology in 2024 at the University of Algarve in Portugal, in collaboration with Cape Verde University. In 2019 she began her doctoral studies at the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Iceland, where she worked in collaboration with Matís and the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme. During her studies, she also taught and supervised students from the Fisheries Training Programme and from Cape Verde University. Carina’s parents are Roque Avelino Pina Fernandes and Filomena Sousa Mascerenhas. Carina is married to Mário Andrade and together they have one son, Kaiky Andrade, 15 years old.