A new food wrap made from crustacean shells

Biodegradable wrap-
and fortified with grapefruit seed extract doubles the shelf
life of perishable food, say researchers- National University of Singapore

food packaging material with antimicrobial and antifungal properties, in order to improve food
safety, extend shelf life, and to minimize the use of chemical preservatives. Consumers are also
demanding that packaging materials be formulated from natural materials that are
environmentally friendly and biodegradable while improving food preservation.
Chitosan—a natural polymer extracted from the exoskeletons of crabs, shrimp, and lobsters—
has inherent antimicrobial and antifungal properties + Grapefruit seed extract (GFSE), on the
other hand, is an antioxidant and possesses strong antiseptic, germicidal, antibacterial,
fungicidal, and antiviral properties.
When the chitosan-based wrap without grapefruit seed extract was used on bread, fungi
appeared after five days instead of three. Fungal growth was further delayed to 10 days if GFSE
was incorporated into the chitosan film, the scientists discovered. The next-generation wrap
also blocks out ultraviolet light, which degrades food due to oxidation and photochemical
deterioration reactions.
The innovation not only prevents the growth of fungi and bacteria but also has mechanical
strength and flexibility comparable to commercial food packaging. The researchers added a
food-grade plasticizer to the chitosan-based wrap to make it less brittle
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Crab Shell is high in Chitin (Kite-en), which promotes the growth of Chitin eating bacteria in the
soil. The exoskeletons of fungus and nematode eggs are high in chitin. Crab Shell when added to the
soil helps to create a hostile environment for the fungus and nematodes by feeding the biological life
that eats chitin and chitin based organisms. Crab Shell should be applied in the same way we
recommend our Kelp Meal to be applied.

excellent dry organic source of Nitrogen (2%) and Phosphorous (3%), Calcium (23%) and Magnesium
(1.33%). Used primarily as a soil amendment, crab shell meal is becoming popular with growers and a
potting mix growing medium It will also help with nematode and fungus problems.

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In a lab in Bavaria scientists are trying to chemically transform crab shells into a high
performance biopolymer
Extract the substance chitin from the shells. After cellulose, chitin is the most abundant
biopolymer on earth
Chitin is a polysaccharide, a polymer, which is composed of sugar molecules. Sugar
molecules can be chemically or biotechnologically engineered to produce different molecules
Crab shells contain other non renewable biological substances. Used to produce biogas,
they become a viable energy source. Meanwhile, biochemists from Munich have
developped optimized yeast strains to convert the chitin through fermentation into fatty oils.
The process which takes between 5 and 7 days.

process the natural oil obtained from crab shells, a reaction takes place under high
pressure and we obtain the raw material for our plastics.”

The oil is transformed into a pure chemical, the raw material for the production of
plastic. The next step is what is called polymerisation. The high performance
biopolymer is produced in a reactor at temperatures of up to 300°C. It’s then
chopped into granulates

This raw material is what we transformed from the natural oil into a pure chemical by
catalysis. After the reaction we obtain this high performance plastic as we see it here, which
is cooled in water.”