Title

Adding Value to Crab-Shell Waste.

Objectives

The Donegal crab fishery, the largest in the country supports two crab-processing factories Errigal Eisc Teo. in Glencolumbkille and Atlanfish in Carndonagh. Following processing the waste carapace, shell and legs are disposed into landfill sites. This increasingly expensive option for waste disposal, costs having escalated in recent years, represents a significant cost for these processing companies. Internationally crustacean processing wastes from the crab, prawn and shrimp fisheries and aquaculture are used as a raw material for the production of chitin and chitosan.

Despite the high value, the production of chitin and chitosan from crab shell wastes requires careful treatment in heavy duty facilities with expensive acids and bases which, because of their corrosive nature, present potential environmental hazards. As a result researchers have targeted the extraction or synthesis of even higher value products from this raw material.

This research project is focussed on microbial fermentation of the waste and the production of a high value nutraceuticals for use in functional foods, antibiotics, antifungals and enzymes.

Duration

2006-2009

Partners/Collaborators

Errigal Eisc Teoranta, Glencolmkille
Atlanfish Ltd., Carndonogh

Funding Agency

Enterprise Ireland – Applied Research Enhancement

Contact for Further Details

Maria Hayes - Postdoctoral Researcher
Email: maria.hayes@lyit.ie

Brian Carney – CAMBio Principal Investigator
Email: brian.carney@lyit.ie

Wolfram Brück - CAMBio Project Manager
Email: wolfram.bruck@lyit.ie

+ Publications/Presentations