Seafood By‐Product Valorization: Emerging Extraction Technologies and Applications

Abstract

The seafood industry plays a vital role in global nutrition, livelihoods, and economic growth, yet 50%–70% of harvested biomass may become by‐products, creating environmental concerns while offering valuable resources. Shells, skins, bones, scales, and viscera are rich in proteins, peptides, lipids, collagen, gelatin, chitin, and pigments with diverse industrial applications. Recent eco‐friendly extraction methods, including enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, ultrasound, microwave, and supercritical fluids, offer opportunities to improve compound recovery and functionality. Unlike reviews focusing primarily on individual seafood‐derived compounds or specific recovery technologies, this review provides an integrated overview linking emerging extraction approaches with the characteristics and potential applications of recovered components across food, biomedical, packaging, and environmental sectors. Particular attention is given to the relationship between extraction strategies, functional properties, and application potential, as well as current challenges related to scalability, cost‐effectiveness, regulatory frameworks, and consumer acceptance. The review also identifies future research directions towards the development of functional ingredients and advanced materials, supporting the sustainable valorization of seafood by‐products within a circular bioeconomy.