Product diversification to boost the sustainability of the shrimp processing industry: The case of shrimp-waste driven chitosan-based food Pickering emulsion stabilizers

Diversifying the product portfolio of the shrimp processing industry using its waste streams could contribute to its environmental sustainability and economic resilience. Considering that this study aimed to increase the commercial value of shrimp shell waste by using chitosan extracted from these wastes as a food emulsion stabilizer. More specifically, chitin was extracted from shrimp shell waste, and chitosan was then prepared from chitin by deacetylation. The findings showed that the extraction efficiency and degree of deacetylation of chitosan were 23% and 83%, respectively. After that, stearic acid was added to chitosan chains to improve its emulsifying properties. Then, the chitosan/stearic acid–stabilized flaxseed oil and olive oil emulsions were prepared in three oil ratios (20, 40 and 60%). The interfacial structure study showed that compared to flaxseed oil droplets, the olive oil droplets’ surface was better covered with the chitosan/stearic acid nanogels. Moreover, the rheological study indicated a stronger gel-like structure in olive oil emulsions than the flaxseed oil emulsions, particularly at 60% oil. The dried emulsions indicated that the olive oil was encapsulated better than flaxseed oil by the chitosan-based particles, and less oil leakage was observed for dried olive oil emulsions. Better encapsulation of olive oil with chitosan/stearic acid nanogels could be attributed to the higher polarity and viscosity of olive oil compared to flaxseed oil and the greater similarity of olive oil fatty acid profile with stearic acid attached to chitosan. In general, these findings showed that the stabilizer developed from shrimp shell waste is suitable for stabilizing emulsions containing more polar oils with less degree of unsaturation. The results obtained could contribute to enhancing the sustainability of the shrimp processing industry by diversifying its product portfolio.