Heavy metals in snow crab bio-products

Abstract

Several potential snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) bio-products have been identified having potential applications as feed ingredients (for terrestrial and aquatic animals), natural health products (e.g., nutraceuticals, dietary supplements), bio-medical and pharmaceutical products (e.g., drug delivery systems, wound healing products), and in cosmetics (e.g., shampoo, hair care, creams, lotions). Yet studies regarding the purity and safety of such bio-products remain limited. Due to growing concerns over heavy metal contaminants in the environment (air, soil, drinking water, food), their associated adverse health effects, and their tendency to bioaccumulate in marine crustaceans, we evaluated the levels of trace metal contaminants in crab processing byproducts and their transfer to selected crab bio-products: crab protein hydrolysate and crab chitin. Safety and toxicity concerns of residual heavy metals present in these snow crab processing bio-products are also discussed.