Shrimp Processing By‐Products as Food Ingredients: Sensory‐Functional Co‐Optimization, Ingredient Readiness, and Design Strategies

ABSTRACT

Shrimp processing side streams are increasingly considered circular resources, yet their food use remains limited by a gap between compound recovery and ingredient‐level validation in target food systems. This review examines how head and cephalothorax fractions, shells, trimming residues, hepatopancreas‐associated materials, and process liquors can be directed toward fit‐for‐purpose ingredient platforms, including protein hydrolysates, savory bases, carotenoid‐rich oils, chitin/chitosan systems, and multifunctional composites. Food use is constrained by sensory liabilities and matrix performance, including marine, rancid, ammoniacal, sulfurous, fermented, and bitter notes, as well as solubility, emulsification, water/oil binding, color stability, oxidative resistance, and target‐matrix compatibility. Accordingly, processing strategies such as controlled hydrolysis, fermentation, defatting, Maillard‐assisted flavor tailoring, encapsulation, and selected physical technologies are evaluated here as application‐oriented interventions. To support industrial translation, we organize these factors into a staged ingredient‐readiness framework linking feedstock classification, stabilization history, conversion route, aroma‐ and taste‐active profiling, structure‒function behavior, prototype‐food validation, safety and regulatory feasibility, scale‐up feasibility, and commercial benchmarking. By emphasizing application‐specific specifications, this review distinguishes ingredient readiness from laboratory recovery success. Future priorities include standardized reporting, sensomics‐guided mechanisms, batch consistency, allergen and regulatory management, benchmarking against commercial ingredients, and pilot‐scale validation. This application‐oriented perspective may help clarify when shrimp by‐products are likely to become standardized, multifunctional, and commercially viable ingredients for circular food systems.