APPLICATION OF DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENT CONTAINING ASTAXANTHIN EXTRACTED FROM SHRIMP SHELLS TO ENHANCE THE PROPERTIES OF CHITOSAN FILM

Abstract

In Vietnam, during the period 2017-2022, the swiftlet farming experienced strong growth, with the number of houses increasing from 8,300 to 23,665. The signing of the Protocol between Vietnam and China in November 2022, allowing the official export of bird’s nests, has opened up significant opportunities for Vietnam’s bird's nest industry. The Chinese market is highly promising for Vietnam’s bird’s nest exports, but it also poses challenges because this market has stringent requirements for quality and traceability. Tien Giang (now part of Dong Thap province) is a province in the Mekong Delta region that has seen strong development in swiftlet farming and processing of bird’s nest products in recent years. Our survey conducted from October to November 2024 with 94 entities involved in farming, processing, and trading bird’s nest in the locality showed that the current bird’s nest industry mainly operates on a small scale, with low investment capital, a lack of stable processes, and many potential risks regarding quality and consumption, primarily domestically or through unofficial export channels. The research team analyzed the current situation and proposed five groups of solutions to promote the official export of swiftlet nests from Tien Giang to China, and also to serve as a basis for guiding sustainable development policies for the bird’s nest industry throughout the new Dong Thap province in the future.