N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan: An Innovation in New Natural Preservative from Shrimp Shell Waste with a Nutritional Value and Health Orientation

This research has been done to modify chitosan into its derivatives, i.e. N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan. The characterization of chitosan and N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan, which includes analysis using FTIR, SEM, and XRD, showed that the a natural preservative N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan had formed. Our data indicated that addition of N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan to samples of chicken meat could be regarded as a solution to increase fiber contents, resilience of food storage, and stability of nutrients (lowering levels of dry substances), lower ash contents, increase protein contents, keep fat contents, as well as increase levels of Nitrogen-Free Extract. Therefore, we conclude that the N,O-Carboxymethyl Chitosan can be used as a preservative which also orients towards nutritional values and health.