APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
Product development and processing 
Clams and clam products are already widely accepted in 
current forms. However, there are opportunities for further 
developments in clam products and processing. For example, 
the largely underutilized ocean quahog resource with an 
estimated MSY of 70 to 100 million pounds and landings under 
2 million pounds, offers a substantial opportunity for devel- 
opment. Product uses could include clam cakes, fritters, 
chowders, and many other dishes which can use a clam flavor. 
Some of the reasons why the resource has not yet been devel- 
oped more fully include the quahog's flavor which is stronger 
than some clam species, such as the surf clam, and its dark 
color. The availability of the successfully developed surf 
clam having some similar product usage also appears to have 
limited development of the quahog. But since the surf clam 
has been overfished, demand for the quahog is expected to 
increase. NMFS and industry officials cooperatively working 
on quahog development are confident that its use will be 
substantially expanded. 
Another area where there may be potential for product 
development involves use of the discarded parts of the surf 
clam ranging from 11 to 18 percent of the total meat weight. 
On the basis of average annual landings of 44.7 million 
pounds of surf clam meats from 1965 and 1969, some 5 to 9 
million pounds of this waste was discarded. If a profitable 
use for this protein and a technique to handle it efficiently 
in the plants could be developed, then the waste could be 
used more effectively and a disposal problem would be solved. 
However, one industry official stated that no one plant pro- 
duces a sufficient quantity to make such an operation econo- 
mically feasible at the present time or in the near future. 
Soft clams are hand processed. Development of an auto- 
matic shucking machine would be of substantial benefit to 
the industry. However, automation is made difficult by the 
many sizes and parts of the clam. Heat shock treatments and 
nitrogen freezing have been tried, but the resulting product 
has had only limited market acceptance. 
Clam processing on the Pacific coast is labor intensive, 
but automated production machinery to process frozen clams 
exists on the east coast and is available if needed. 
Marketing potential 
Available clam products are readily sold into existing 
markets. In addition, projections of future conditions show 
a steadily increasing demand for clam products. Some specific 
examples of market expansion include increased distribution 
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