Food processing of chitin and chitosan: From waste to opportunities

Chitin, the second most abundant natural polysaccharide was isolated in the year 1811 and chitosan, its deacetylated form, was introduced in 1859. One thousand billion tons of chitin are generated annually, much of it by food-related organisms including shellfish, mollusks, fungi and insects. Despite the abundance of these versatile biodegradable materials, food process engineering data and applications of chitin and chitosan are still limited. This paper aims to present ways for expanding food uses of chitin/chitosan-based materials, discussing their sources, resource efficient recovery and processing. It investigates the generation of chitin and chitosan from various sources using chemical processes and biological processes, as well as the complementary use of emerging food processes to enhance recovery of chitin. Food production, food processing, packaging and nutritional applications for chitin and chitosan are presented as well as future needs and opportunities to convert and upscale these valuable natural polysaccharides from food waste to food applications. A better understanding of the structure-function relationships of chitin and chitosan recovered from various sources, the generation of critical food process engineering data as well as the development of enhanced recovery processes and scale up procedues are needed to realize the full potential of chitin and chitosan derived from food waste. • High abundance of biodegradable chitin/chitosan biopolymers exists in nature • Chitin/chitosan are major sources of food processing by-products and waste • Opportunities exist for expanding the diverse applications of chitin and chitosan • Efficient chitin/chitosan recovery is necessary to realize their industrial potential • Integrated processes for recovery of chitin, chitosan and co-products are needed