Aim:
The aim of this task is to valorise solid and liquid seafood side-streams by converting processing waste into high-value food, feed, and bio-based products through optimised and scalable technologies. It focuses on developing integrated biorefinery approaches that recover proteins, lipids, bioactives, chitin/chitosan, collagen, and minerals while minimising waste. The task also evaluates techno-economic feasibility, sustainability, and circularity to support industrial uptake and zero-waste seafood value chains.
Activities & Outputs:
Collection, characterisation, and logistics assessment of solid and liquid seafood side-streams from industrial partners.
Production and optimisation of fish meal from by-catches and fish by-products.
Extraction and scale-up of fish protein concentrates (FPC), isolates (FPI), hydrolysates (FPH), bioactive peptides, and fish oils using non-thermal technologies (e.g. hydrodynamic cavitation).
Valorisation of liquid effluents via centrifugation and membrane processing to recover proteins, amino acids, lipids, and bioactives.
Extraction of chitin and conversion to chitosan from crustacean shells; recovery of pigments (astaxanthin), calcium, and minerals.
Recovery of collagen and calcium from bones, skin, shells, and residual biomass.
Energy, mass balance recording and sustainability evaluation using LCA and Circularity Assessment Tool (CAT).
OTHER TASKS
