Nus Are Good News: when science and technology give value back to forgotten fish

Nus Are Good News: when science and technology give value back to forgotten fish.
The “NUS Are Good News” project  demonstrates how undervalued fish species can become safe and sustainable ready-to-eat products. Thanks to the Stagionello technology  and the Cuomo Method, designed by Dr. Alessandro Cuomo, it is possible to control the microclimates of maturation and transform the “forgotten catch” into new opportunities for the fish supply chain.

The conference “NUS Are Good News – Innovative Food from Neglected and Underutilized Fish Species”, held in Turin on 24 February 2026, represented the culmination of a national research project involving the University of Turin, the University of Padua and the University of Bari. The project, funded under the PRIN (Projects of Relevant National Interest) and launched in 2022, stems from a simple but ambitious idea: to demonstrate that many fish species considered “minor”, often discarded into the sea because they have no commercial value, can become safe, stable and gastronomically interesting ready-to-eat products. The initiative is part of a context in which the sustainability of fishing and the enhancement of marine biodiversity are increasingly central issues. The project therefore sought to demonstrate, with a scientific and technological approach, that the lesser-known catch can be transformed into a concrete resource for the food market.

The paradox of fish in Italy

The starting point is a paradox well known to operators in the sector. Italy is one of the European countries with the highest consumption of fish, but the market focuses almost exclusively on a few species. Anchovies, sea bream, sea bass, salmon and clams occupy a large part of the offer, while a much larger heritage of marine biodiversity remains on the margins of the supply chain. Many species present in our seas have excellent nutritional qualities and are available in significant quantities, but they cannot find space on the market because the consumer knows little about them or does not know how to use them in the kitchen. The result is a clear imbalance: some species are overfished, while others are discarded or sold at very low prices. The NUS project was created precisely to transform this critical issue into an opportunity, creating new possibilities for enhancing the lesser-known catch.

From research to target species

As explained during the conference by Professor Felice Panebianco of the University of Turin, the idea of the project stems from the meeting of two needs: on the one hand  to reduce fishing waste and enhance lesser-known species, on the other hand to develop innovative processing techniques that can also be applied to fish. The research therefore focused on three species representative of different areas of the Mediterranean: the horse mackerel of the Ligurian Sea, the mullet of the Upper Adriatic and the forkbeard of the Lower Adriatic. The goal was not only to analyze their biological characteristics, but to transform them into new ready-to-eat products, capable of combining food safety, sensory quality and stability over time. Technology has played a decisive role in this journey.

The role of Stagionello technology

The technology of the project was that of the Stagionello Fish Curing Device (patent EP2769276B1 and CA2852650), developed by Dr. Alessandro Cuomo and based on the method of the same name. This system allows you to manage the microclimates necessary for fish maturation in a dynamic and controlled way, precisely adjusting the pH of the food, temperature, humidity, ventilation and air exchange during all phases of the process. These are fundamental parameters for obtaining ready-to-eat products that are safe from a microbiological point of view and at the same time interesting from a sensory point of view. The possibility of controlling these microenvironments makes it possible to guide the evolution of the product during maturation, making the process reproducible and scientifically validable.

Experimentation on dry curing of fish

The experimentation conducted by the group of the University of Bari, presented by Dr. Annamaria Pandiscia, has shown how these controlled microenvironments allow the transformation of horse mackerel, mullet and forkbeard fillets through  precisely designed dry curing cycles  . After filleting and curing, the fish were placed in the Stagionello “cabinets” where the process developed through phases of salting, dripping, programmed drying and controlled maturation. In about four days, it was possible to obtain ready-to-eat products with pH values and water activities compatible with the safety standards required for ready-to-eat food. During the conference, it was emphasized that results of this type cannot be obtained with adapted refrigerators or improvised systems. In fact, the maturation of fish requires a very precise management of climatic curves and ventilation dynamics, elements that only systems designed specifically for this purpose can guarantee.

Microbiological safety and shelf life

One of the most interesting results concerns the forkbeard, which has shown surprising stability over time. The analyses showed that the product obtained maintains excellent quality characteristics for over sixty days of shelf life, a result that has so far been little documented in the scientific literature for this species. Chemical and sensory analyses showed a good protein structure, a stable lipid balance and uniform staining, as well as the absence of pathogenic contamination. Some critical issues observed in horse mackerel and mullet products after longer periods of storage have been attributed mainly to the variability of raw materials and their preliminary management, indicating further margins for process optimization.

The Cuomo Method: The Philosophy of Controlled Transformation

The central moment of the conference was the concluding speech by Dr. Alessandro Cuomo, inventor of the Stagionello technology and creator of the Cuomo Method, the method that guided the entire technological approach of the project. Cuomo explained how the Stagionello cold rooms are not simple “refrigerators” or modified refrigerated cabinets, but real intelligent microenvironments, designed to accompany the biochemical evolution of food during maturation.
The Cuomo Method is conceived as an innovative multi-variable algorithm that combines three fundamental elements: the raw material, the climatic recipe with dynamic and controlled parameters and the targeted use of functional and aromatic ingredients, an integral part of the process and balanced and scientifically validated by university partners. This combination makes it possible to obtain products with a safe pH range, microbiological safety, constant sensory quality and scientifically proven reproducibility. The algorithm is protected by the EP2769276B1 patent, representing a unique technological standard for the controlled maturation of fish products.
The Method was born from the idea of combining tradition and science, reproducing in a controlled way natural processes of transformation that have been part of the Mediterranean food culture for centuries. Stagionello cells are designed precisely for this purpose: to recreate specific microclimates and constantly manage the critical parameters of the process, ensuring repeatability, safety and constant quality, transforming the less valued catch into a gastronomic and stable product.

Technology designed for food safety

During the project, it became clear that there was a need to distinguish between equipment that is truly designed for professional maturation and systems that are simply adapted for the purpose. According to Cuomo, one of the biggest risks in the sector is precisely technological improvisation. Using equipment not designed for these processes means exposing oneself to variability that is difficult to control, with possible consequences on the hygienic-sanitary safety of the product. Seasonello cells, developed on the basis of the EP2769276B1 patent, integrate specific functions for food processing, including sanitization systems, advanced management of microclimates and monitoring of critical parameters. In this way, it becomes possible to create the ideal conditions for the fish to evolve in a controlled way, transforming itself into a stable and safe product.

New opportunities for the seafood supply chain

However, Cuomo’s contribution is not limited to the technological aspect. In his speech, he also underlined the cultural and productive value of a project like NUS. Enhancing neglected species means restoring dignity to an often ignored fish heritage, offering new economic opportunities to fishermen and expanding the gastronomic offer available to consumers. Technology thus becomes a tool to make possible a broader transformation of the supply chain. Reducing waste, diversifying the market and enhancing marine biodiversity are not only environmental objectives, but also concrete economic opportunities.

From research to market

The entire research path has shown how collaboration between universities and technological innovation can generate tangible results. The project has made it possible to develop prototypes of ready-to-eat products, to analyze their microbiological safety and sensory characteristics and to trace the first indications for a possible application in the production chain. The message that emerges from this experience is clear: the limit is not the fish species itself, but the ability to transform it through controlled and scientifically validated processes. Thanks to the Cuomo Method and Stagionello technologies, the less valued catch can become a new gastronomic and productive resource.

A model for the fisheries of the future

At a time when sustainability is no longer an option but a necessity, NUS Are Good News is a concrete example of innovation applied to the seafood supply chain. It shows that the Mediterranean does not only need new resources, but new ways to enhance those it already has. Scientific research and technology can in fact transform what was once discarded into a new opportunity for the food market, helping to build a more sustainable fishing and a production system capable of fully exploiting the richness of our sea.