Recovering the value of seafood side-streams

Turning seafood side‑streams into high‑value products is gaining attention from innovators as market demand, technological advances, and policy drivers converge. Interest in sustainable and functional products is opening new opportunities across food, cosmetics, and health sectors, reinforced by the call to reduce waste and embrace circular economy practices that highlight the value of by‑products such as side‑streams. Thanks to advances in biorefinery, it is increasingly feasible to recover proteins, collagen, and omega‑3s from parts once discarded, transforming residues into profitable resources and positioning seafood processing as a catalyst for sustainable growth.

(Photo of Omega 3 tables © Serdar Tiber I Dreamstime.com) 

The potential for growth is strong particularly in Thailand.  A major global seafood exporter, Thailand generates large volumes of by-products such as fish heads, bones, skins, and shells each year, much of which remains underexploited or treated as waste.

Addressing this challenge, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tantawan Pirak, a food technology specialist in protein science and functional ingredient development, is leading research that bridges sustainability and innovation. With a PhD in food technology, Dr. Tantawan is actively engaged in applied research, and her work focuses on the valorization of seafood and agricultural by-products through biorefinery design and green processing technologies.  She has led and contributed to numerous projects supported by national and international funding bodies, particularly in seafood by-product utilization and biorefinery development.

By combining scientific insight with industry applications, Dr. Tantawan aims to convert low-value side-streams into high-value functional ingredients for food and health applications. 

The project, “Biorefinery approach to valorizing Thai seafood processing industry by-products” is funded by the Newton Fund, British Council, UK and Thai Office of the Permanent Secretary for Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Thailand.  Together with professors from Heriot-Watt University, The UK, Dr. Tantawan’s team combines advanced extraction techniques with scientific composition data to unlock new economic value from seafood side-streams while reducing environmental impact.

The following exclusive interview with Dr. Tantawan shares her insights into the origins of the project, the concept of seafood biorefinery, and how advanced extraction techniques can convert waste into high-value compounds for food and health applications. She also discusses the challenges of scaling up such innovations and what it will take for industry adoption.

How did your project first come about, and how do you see this revolutionizing the food industry?

Thailand is a major exporter of seafood, with export value reaching THB 213,445.64 million in 2024 from a volume of approximately 1.465 million tons. This highlights the sector’s strong contribution to the national economy. However, large volumes of processing by-products remain underutilized. Our project was initiated to address this gap by applying biorefinery design and advanced extraction techniques to recover value components from seafood by-products, thereby increasing their economic value while reducing environmental impact.

Thailand’s seafood industry generates volumes of fish by-products each year. In reality, how are these materials usually handled or discarded today?

In Thailand, seafood processing generates significant by-products, including fish heads, bones, skins, shells, and internal organs. Traditionally, these materials are treated as waste and disposed of through landfilling or incineration, contributing to environmental issues such as pollution and landfill burden.

Some portions are utilized as low-value products, such as animal feed, fertilizers, or fishmeal; however, a substantial share remains underutilized. In 2024, the amount of discarded waste reached approximately 700 million tons. This represents not only a waste management challenge but also a loss of valuable bioactive compounds that could otherwise be developed into novel, high-value food ingredients.

What ingredients or compounds can be recovered from seafood by-products?

A wide range of high-value compounds can be recovered from seafood by-products. These include proteins, collagen, bio-calcium, and fish oils from fish processing waste, as well as astaxanthin and chitosan from shrimp by-products. These ingredients have strong potential for applications in food, nutraceuticals, and functional products.

You mentioned the term “biorefinery” for the project. What does that mean in the context of seafood by-product valorization?

In simple terms, a biorefinery is an upcycling approach that transforms seafood by-products such as fish heads, bones, and shells, into valuable resources rather than waste. Similar to a petroleum refinery that converts crude oil into multiple products, a seafood biorefinery uses advanced, environmentally friendly processes to extract high-value compounds such as proteins, oils, collagen, and minerals.

This approach reduces waste while creating new economic opportunities by converting underutilized materials into functional ingredients for food, health supplements, and other industries.

What is green processing and why is it becoming important to the industry?

Green processing refers to the use of environmentally responsible methods to extract valuable compounds from raw materials such as seafood by-products with minimal environmental impact. It focuses on reducing the use of hazardous chemicals, lowering energy and water consumption, and minimizing waste generation during extraction.

This approach often incorporates eco-friendly solvents, such as water or ethanol, and advanced techniques including enzymatic, ultrasound-assisted, or supercritical fluid extraction. Its importance is growing as the food industry faces increasing pressure to reduce environmental impact, comply with stricter regulations, and meet rising consumer demand for sustainable products. Green processing also enhances resource efficiency and enables the valorization of underutilized raw materials.

What technology, equipment, and technical expertise will be most important to help this project move forward?

A key requirement for advancing this project is the establishment of a biorefinery pilot plant to enable process scale-up from laboratory to industrial level. In addition, expertise in process engineering, extraction technologies, and product development will be essential to ensure efficiency, consistency, and commercial viability.

What steps would you recommend for food manufacturers that want to begin integrating greener processing strategies into their operations?

One of the main challenges is the efficient collection and handling of seafood by-products. A critical first step is the development of a centralized collection and pre-treatment system to ensure raw material quality before processing.

Establishing such infrastructure, alongside pilot-scale biorefinery operations, will be key to enabling wider adoption. We are planning to pursue additional Thai-UK funding to support the development of this system.

What can your project teach the industry about food waste reduction? How can any of the steps or processes you employed help other food sectors?

One of the key outcomes of this project is knowledge transfer to industry stakeholders. We have already conducted workshops with more than 50 seafood companies to share insights and practical approaches.

These engagements revealed several critical needs, including access to funding, collection infrastructure, technical knowledge, and appropriate processing equipment. The principles developed in this project—particularly resource valorization and biorefinery design—can be applied across other food sectors to reduce waste and unlock new value from underutilized raw materials.