Creating Value from Food Waste

School of Human Science and Environment

Associate Professor Ichiro Kaneko

In recent years, the frequency of using processed foods has increased, leading to excessive intake of phosphorus contained in food additives, which has become a significant problem. We are focusing on the fact that the shells of crabs, shrimp, and shellfish are composed of calcium carbonate, making them a source of calcium that contains very little phosphorus. Additionally, crustaceans contain functional components such as astaxanthin, chitin, and chitosan, which have value as food ingredients. We are focusing on analyzing the components of discarded parts of crustaceans and shellfish and researching the mechanisms of their effectiveness to develop foods with added nutritional value.