FS4-07.08 - Autoclaving shellfish waste

Summary

Shellfish waste is a major financial and operational burden to the seafood processing industry. In theory there are many uses for shell, but to date there is no one solution to treating and subsequently using these materials as by-products. Most processors rely on disposal outlets costing up to £150 per tonne of waste. Shellfish processors want simple, local, cost-effective solutions for managing shellfish waste. Equally they want to yield a shell that is completely free of flesh and malodour, so they can access secondary markets for clean shell. The extent of treatment depends on the how the shell is ultimately going to be used. Autoclave technology has been identified as a potential solution for shellfish waste treatment. The technique produces sterile, clean, free of flesh shell that could be suitable for a wide range of applications. This factsheet summarises the results of a basic trial to evaluate the suitability of autoclaving followed by anaerobic digestion.

Publication Reference No.

FS4-07.08

Publication date

01 July 2008