Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Government should havepolicies to support research and processing that would use shrimp by-productsas high-value products, experts have said.
For every kilo of shrimp, processing plants leave out 35-50percent of by-products, including heads and shells.
Shrimp output was more than 720,000 tonnes last year, and theprocessing industry produced 320,000 tonnes of by-products from them, they said.
This is a waste, researchers said, adding that by-productscontain many nutrients that can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and animalfeed production.
Many new products with a high-profit margin could enter themarket if there was a comprehensive research investment strategy, they said.
Phan Thanh Loc, deputy chairman of Vietnam Food Company, saidmany developed countries had successfully developed products from fisheryby-products.
The application of technology increases the value of shrimpby-products by many times.
One kilo of shrimp heads sold to animal feed producers andbusinesses just earn a few thousand dong. However, if technology is used toextract nutrients from shrimp heads for use in the food industry and animalfeed, businesses could earn over 20,000 VND on every kilo of shrimp heads, hesaid.
In particular, if businesses extract chitosan, which is usedin making food wrapping film, they could earn much more money, he added.
Dr. Trang Sy Trung, rector of Nha Trang University, said thatshrimp heads and shells were still considered waste and used mostly to makefood for animals instead of for other purposes.
Studies have shown that the nutrient content in shrimpby-products is high: 8 percent lipid, 20 percent chitin and 48 percent protein.
Scientists from Nha Trang University have conducted researchto develop useful products from shrimp by-products for the agricultural,aquaculture and pharmaceutical sectors, including chitosan solutions fortreating fungi on mango and chili.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, research institutes, universities and companies have researchedand invested in products made from shrimp by-products but the results have beenmodest, with the output being mostly raw products.
Businesses and scientists said there were few specificpolicies for supporting the processing of shrimp by-products and marketing ofproducts made from the by-products.
They suggested that the Government provide support toincrease the use of these by-products by more enterprises and researchers.
Recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology coordinatedwith Nha Trang University and Vietnam Food to launch a fund for supporting thedevelopment of the shrimp by-product sector in Vietnam.
The fund’s main purpose is to support research and thetraining of human resources, with the aim of developing high-value productsfrom shrimp by-products.-VNS/VNA
For every kilo of shrimp, processing plants leave out 35-50percent of by-products, including heads and shells.
Shrimp output was more than 720,000 tonnes last year, and theprocessing industry produced 320,000 tonnes of by-products from them, they said.
This is a waste, researchers said, adding that by-productscontain many nutrients that can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and animalfeed production.
Many new products with a high-profit margin could enter themarket if there was a comprehensive research investment strategy, they said.
Phan Thanh Loc, deputy chairman of Vietnam Food Company, saidmany developed countries had successfully developed products from fisheryby-products.
The application of technology increases the value of shrimpby-products by many times.
One kilo of shrimp heads sold to animal feed producers andbusinesses just earn a few thousand dong. However, if technology is used toextract nutrients from shrimp heads for use in the food industry and animalfeed, businesses could earn over 20,000 VND on every kilo of shrimp heads, hesaid.
In particular, if businesses extract chitosan, which is usedin making food wrapping film, they could earn much more money, he added.
Dr. Trang Sy Trung, rector of Nha Trang University, said thatshrimp heads and shells were still considered waste and used mostly to makefood for animals instead of for other purposes.
Studies have shown that the nutrient content in shrimpby-products is high: 8 percent lipid, 20 percent chitin and 48 percent protein.
Scientists from Nha Trang University have conducted researchto develop useful products from shrimp by-products for the agricultural,aquaculture and pharmaceutical sectors, including chitosan solutions fortreating fungi on mango and chili.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, research institutes, universities and companies have researchedand invested in products made from shrimp by-products but the results have beenmodest, with the output being mostly raw products.
Businesses and scientists said there were few specificpolicies for supporting the processing of shrimp by-products and marketing ofproducts made from the by-products.
They suggested that the Government provide support toincrease the use of these by-products by more enterprises and researchers.
Recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology coordinatedwith Nha Trang University and Vietnam Food to launch a fund for supporting thedevelopment of the shrimp by-product sector in Vietnam.
The fund’s main purpose is to support research and thetraining of human resources, with the aim of developing high-value productsfrom shrimp by-products.-VNS/VNA
VNA
