Reclamation of fishery processing waste: A mini-review

Every time we enjoy seafood, a mountain of nutrient-rich waste—from viscera to shells—gets discarded. What if this overlooked marine debris is actually a goldmine for human health?

Seafood like fish, shellfish, and squid are exceptional sources of nutrients. Yet, processing byproducts such as viscera, shells, heads, and bones are routinely thrown away. Hidden inside these discarded parts are structurally diverse bioactive nitrogenous components holding immense potential as functional food ingredients.

Fish waste is packed with high-quality protein, serving as an ideal starting point for mining biofunctional peptides. Meanwhile, chitin from shrimp shells, crab shells, and squid pens offers its own unique value. Through bioconversion, these components unleash remarkable properties: antioxidative, antimicrobial, anticancer, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and anticoagulant activities.

This mini-review highlights how we can reclaim these seafood byproducts. By utilizing chemical procedures, enzymatic and fermentation technologies, and chemical modifications, science is unlocking the extraordinary potential and applications locked inside fishery waste.

Key Points

• Fishery processing byproducts are rich in bioactive nitrogenous components
• Fish waste and chitin offer proteins and valuable bioconversion activities
• Chemical and enzymatic technologies unlock extraordinary seafood waste applications