One of substances that is known to be a food preservative is chitosan. Indonesia is a country
rich in natural resources. The Indonesian fisheries sector is a sector with a good prospect. It can be
seen from the increase in the export value of fishery products of the nation. As reported by the
Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the export value of Indonesia fisheries based on the
total commodities from January to November 2013 reached U.S. $ 3.77 billion or increased
approximately up to 7.0% from U.S. $ 3.53 billion in 2012. During that period, shrimps became the
main commodity of the Indonesian fisheries export with a value of U.S. $ 1.280 million. Shrimp
export increased by 25.46% from the previous year with the largest contribution value from frozen
shrimps by U.S. $ 1.121 million. Along with the increased shrimp production, the waste produced
from the shrimp processing has also increased. The amount of waste generated, if not processed
immediately, will cause environmental pollution. So far, the processing of shrimp waste is used
only as a substance to make kerupuk (shrimp crackers), terasi (a condiment made from fermented
shrimp paste), and supplements for animal feed. In fact, shrimp shell waste is very potential due to
its chitin content that reaches approximately 99.1% [5]. Thus, the use of shrimp waste by processing
it into chitin and its derivatives can be one alternative to solve environmental problem caused by
shrimp industry.