Surimi School USA

Since its establishment in 1993, the program founder Prof. Jae Park has offered the surimi school over 70 times globally. With his retirement from OSU in Dec 2020, his entire programs have been consolidated into Surimi School Asia, Surimi School Europe, and Surimi School USA under the Jae Park Surimi School. He has designated Dr. Samanan Poowakanjana (CEO, Korat Cold Storage), who is his former doctoral student, as his program successor. Prof. Park will work with him in the next few years, and Dr. Samanan will take over the programs gradually.

Unlike other programs (SSA and SSE), Surimi School USA will work closely with Angee Hunt, Asst Professor of Practice, OSU Seafood Lab, who is also Prof. Park’s former student, to carry out various surimi research. A significant portion of income (primarily sponsorship) will be used for surimi research and education at OSU Seafood Lab and other designated research institutes. The outcome of funded research will be disseminated through the Jae Park Surimi School.

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Registrations & Enrollment:

EARLY REGISTRATION IS ENCOURAGED (by Nov 1, 2026). With your e-mail to surimiman1@yahoo.com, you will be pre-registered. Please complete the following registration form based on your interest.

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Name: Email: Phone:

Company:

The registration fee will be $1,000 per person for 3 days. If you subscribe to the program for Day 1 only, the fee will be $500. For those who wish to attend the first two days of the program, the registration fee will be $800. Please mark X in the ( ) appropriately.

( ) Day 1 (Dec 1, 2026) - (Resources/Market/Supply/Trends)

( ) Day 2 (Dec 2, 2026) - (Production/Quality Control/Safety/ Development):

( ) Day 3 (Dec 3, 2026) - (Lab session at Puget Sound Quality Specialists).

After Nov 1, the registration fee will be $1200 for 3 days and $600 for Day 1. $900 for 2 days (Day 1 and Day 2).

Cancelation/Reimbursement Policy: Any cancelation up to 1 month before the program will be subjected to $200 fee (handling and administration fee). To avoid the fee, the pre-paid registration fee can be credited to the next program. Any cancelation within a month before the program will be subjected to no refund.

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Please send the above form and a registration check made payable to: Seafood Specialty Inc, which manages Jae Park Surimi School. If you prefer an ACH wire transfer, please let us know.

Dr. Jae Park, Professor Emeritus
Seafood Specialty Inc
90523 Par Road, Warrenton, OR 97146, USA
Tel: 503-440-5636

E-mail: surimiman1@yahoo.com

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Accommodations:

Embassy Suite Lynnwood: You can make your own reservation using the link below: Room Reservation is open now!

Book your room for the Surimi School USA 2026

Guests can also call the hotel reservations at (425) 775-2500 for their rooms under the Surimi School USA.

Please ensure everyone is aware of making their reservations by Monday, November 9, 2026. After this date, we cannot guarantee availability and we may not be able to provide the discounted rate under your block.

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Jae Park Surimi School USA: Dec 1 – Dec 3, 2026

Day 1 (Tuesday, Dec 1, 2026) – Surimi Industry Forum (Resources/Market/Supply/Trends/New Ingredients):

7:30 – 8:50 (80 min) Registration

Foyer – Rainier Room

9:00 – 9:30 (30 min) Opening Remarks/Keynote

Mr. Allen Kimball (Formerly EVP, Trident Seafoods)

9:30 – 9:40 (10 min) Welcome, Program Introduction

Dr. Jae Park

9:40 – 9:55 (15 min) 1a- Surimi Production Update (Alaska pollock): US

Mr. Jacob Christensen (Sales Manager, Arctic Storm)

09:55 – 10:05 (10 min) 1b- Surimi Production & Market Update (Alaska pollock): Russia

Mr. Oleg Moskvin (Sales Director, Russian Fishery Co)

10:05 – 10:20 (15 min) 1c- Surimi Production & Market Update (Pacific whiting)

Mr. Jacob Christensen (Sales Manager, Arctic Storm)

10:20 – 10:35 (15 min) 1d- Production & Market Update, Surimi Seafood (USA)

Mr. Niloy Phukan (VP-Sales, Aquamar; Mr. Daryl Gormley (CEO, Aquamar)

10:35 – 10:50 (15 min) 1e- Market Updates in Japan,

(Mr. Yoshihito Nishino, Surimi Manager, Nissui)

10:50 – 11:10 (20 min) Coffee Break

11:10 – 11:25 (15 min) 1f- Market Updates in S Korea

(Dr. Cheong-il “Charles” Ji, VP, Samjin Foods)

11:25 – 12:00 (35 min) 1g- Market Updates in SE Asia, India, and China

(Dr. Samanan Poowakanjana, MD, Korat Cold Storage, Thailand)

12:00 – 12:15 (15 min) Discussion/Summary including Market Conditions of Europe

12:15 – 1:15p (60 min) Lunch

1:15 – 1:20 Group Photo (Break Room) see the photo of 2024. The Photo will be taken in a similar way like in 2022 and 2024.

1:20 – 1:45 (25 min) 2- Global Commodity Update

Mr. Cameron Wells (VP, Pacific Blends)

Product Development, New Technology, and New Ingredients

1:45 – 2:15 (30 min) 3- Product Development

Dr. Cheong-il “Charles” Ji (VP, Samjin Foods, S Korea)

2:15 – 2:40 (25 min) 4- Liquid Shio Koji as an Umami Booster

Mr. Akira Sekine (CEO, Hanamaruki USA)

2:40 – 3:05 (25 min) 5- New Solutions to Improve Texture and Taste of Surimi Seafood

Mr. Nanata Hori (Ajinomoto, Japan)

3:05 – 3:25 (20 min) 6- Alpha Clyodextrin as an Effective Cryoprotectant

Mr. Matthew Fowler (Wacker Chemical)

3:25 – 4:05 (40 min) Coffee Breaks/ Product Cutting & Tasting (Various Premium Surimi Seafood Products from S Korea). Dr. Charles Ji and his associates of Samjin Amook

4:05 – 4:25 (20 min) 7- Can Potato Protein Isolate replace egg white in surimi?

Mr. Marc Laus (Avebe)

4:25 – 4:50 (25 min) 8- Surimi Research funded by Jae Park Surimi School - Biomimetic Oral Texture Analysis of Surimi Seafoods

Dr. Hyeon Woo “Howard” Park (Asst Prof, Korea University) (9:20a, Korea) to be presented virtually

4:50 – 6:45 Social/ Network Hours (Beer & Wine)

Sponsor’s Parade

Sponsors will have 3-5 min of marketing presentation to cover the company’s products, services, and technologies. Power Point presentation can be made with not more than 5 slides. Moderated by Dr. Samaman Poowakanjana. Sponsors giving a technical presentation will have 3 min.

4:50 – 4:53p	Aquamar
4:53 – 4:58	T Hasegawa USA
4:58 – 5:03	King & Prince Seafood
5:03 – 5:08	ASMI
5:08 – 5:13	Flottweg USA
5:13 – 5:18	Westward Seafoods
5:18 – 5:21	Pacific Blends
5:21 – 5:26	Trident Seafoods
5:26 – 5:31	Pacific Seafood
5:31 – 5:36	Trans Ocean Products
5:36 – 5:41	Xiamen Jinrunda Machinery
5:41 – 5:44	Avebe
5:44 – 5:47	SeoDo BNI
5:47 – 5:50	Wacker
5:50 – 5:55	Puget Sound Quality Specialists
5:55 – 5:58	Ajinomoto
5:58 – 6:03	Glacier Fish
6:03 – 6:08	K-Pack
6:08 – 6:13	Hanamaruki/McGill International
6:13 – 6:18	Arctic Storm Management Group
6:18 – 6:21	Samjin Amook
6:21 – 6:26	Takasago USA
6:26 – 6:31	Lycored
6:31 – 6:36	GEA

6:45 – 8:15 Dinner (Beer & Wine available) at the hotel foyer, outside the classroom (Rainier)

Day 2 (Wednesday, Dec 2, 2026) (Production, Quality Control/ Safety)

9:00 – 9:05 (5 min) Welcome to Day 2, Program Introduction, Dr. Jae Park

9:05 – 9:55 (50 min) 9- Surimi Chemistry – Production and Gelation

Prof. Jae Park, Jae Park Surimi School

9:55 – 10:45 (50 min) 10- Production of Surimi

Prof. Jae Park, Jae Park Surimi School

10:45 – 11:05 (20 min) Coffee Breaks

11:05 – 11:55 (50 min) 11- Preparation of Surimi Gel and Analysis

Dr. Samanan Poowakanjana, Korat Cold Storage

11:55 – 12:55 (60 min) Lunch

12:55 – 1:45 (50 min) 12- Effective Food Safety & Sanitation

Dr. Si Hong Park (Oregon State University)

1:45 – 2:35 (50 min) 13- Ingredient Technology

Prof. Angee Hunt (OSU Seafood Lab)

2:35 – 2:55 (20 min) Coffee Breaks

2:55 – 3:45 (50 min) 14- Production of Crabsticks

Dr. Cheong-il “Charles” Ji (Samjin Foods, S Korea)

3:45 – 4:15 (30 min) 15- Health Benefit of Fish Proteins

Prof. Ishizaki and Prof. Okazaki (Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology) – To be presented virtually (8:45a Japan)

4:15 – 4:45 (30 min) 16- Artificial Intelligence Application in Surimi and Surimi Seafood. – to be presented virtually (9:15a, Korea)

Prof. Won Yoon (Kangwon National University)

4:45 – 5:15 (30 min) Recap: Questions & Discussion

5:15 Adjourn Day 2. Dinner is on your own. Visit with your clients/suppliers to develop a business network.

Day 3 (Thursday, Dec 3, 2026) (Lab Sessions at Puget Sound Quality Specialists: 4245 24th Ave West, Seattle, WA 98199: 1-206-466-6339). Direction and Parking at PSQS.

9:30 – 9:40 (10 min) Welcome to Day 3, Program Introduction, Dr. Jae Park

Attendees will be divided into two groups by first name. Each group will be rotated every 60 min.

	Texture Lab	Micro Lab
09:40 – 10:40	Group A (A-I)	Group B (J-Z)
10:40 – 11:40	Group B (J-Z)	Group A (A-I)

(Coffee/tea is provided in the hallway during lab hours)

Surimi Gel Texture Lab
Prof. Angee Hunt · Mr. Danny Burns · Dr. Yuka Kobayashi · Dr. Samanan · Mr. Gene Bennet

This hands-on session explores the effects of cooking method and PPI (potato protein isolate) addition on Pacific whiting (PW) RA-grade surimi gel texture. PW RA grade surimi pastes will be prepared and used in the ohmic cooking demonstration.

Group A will prepare for PW surimi without PPI.
Group B will prepare for PW surimi with 1% PPI.

Ohmic Cooking Demonstration: Dr. Kobayashi will cook surimi paste prepared by Groups A and B using the ohmic cooker. Mr. Gene Bennett, Plant Manager at Pacific Surimi and a 10-year practitioner of commercial ohmic heating, will be available for questions.

Gel Texture Demonstration: Surimi gels of PW RA grade will be prepared in advance using both the Xiamen Jinrunda vacuum cutter and the Stephan silent cutter. Formulations with and without PPI, cooked by water bath and ohmic heating, will be evaluated for breaking force and penetration distance using a TA-XT Plus Texture Analyzer. Each group will measure 3-5 gel pieces per treatment.

Three variables will be compared:

1. Chopping equipment (Xiamen Jinrunda vacuum cutter vs. Stephan silent cutter)

2. Formulation (with vs. without 1% PPI)

3. Cooking method (water bath vs. ohmic heating)

Micro/Safety Lab – (Dr. Si Hong Park will be leading the session and assisted by Dr. Soojin Jung and Jenny Le) – Detailed information can be found at your program booklet.

11:40 – 12:00 Discussion & Adjourn

Take Home Exam will be provided for a certificate. For those who wish to receive a certificate, contact Prof. Park (surimiman1@yahoo.com) to take an (open-book) exam (20 questions – either a multiple choice or true/false) which will be conducted in a 2-hr schedule by an appointment using the email communication. Those who make 70/100 will receive a certificate. Those who do not make it will have one more chance of retaking an exam. Exam will be

offered by Dec 31, 2026.

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CID Approved by USDA	No More Imitation by FDA	Update - Fish Protein Isolate
RAPSA Ohmic Cooker	Carmine must be declared by Jan 05, 2011	30-yr Celebration of the US Crabstick Industry

Covered at Daily Astorian (April 18, 2003)

Important Documents and Presentations for Surimi and Surimi Seafood Industry

Comments from the attendees at the previous OSU Surimi School

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