Changqing Marine Foods Co in Putuo district, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province has hit a gold mine by turning 3,000 yuan ($457) per ton of leftover seafood into 100,000 yuan per ton of peptide powder, local media reported on Dec 21.

Changqing spent 10 years exploring marine biological peptide. In 2009, Ye Changqing, general manager of the company, which is also an exporter of crab meat products, learned about peptide products made from leftover seafood, which were popular in Japan at the time for their high nutritional value and being easier for the body to absorb.

"Through the use of technology, the leftover fish bones and skins can be transformed into nutrient-rich healthcare products," said Ye, who started studying peptide products after realizing their business potential.

After three years of investment and research, Changqing finally succeeded in preparing peptide products and put them into mass production.

"The market for peptide products is developing gradually in China, and our products have gained popularity after we began using more established technologies," noted Ye, adding that the amount of orders in the second half of the year was several times more than that in the first half year.

At present, Putuo district is home to more than 80 seafood processing companies above designated size, nearly 20 of which are engaged in the production of marine biological peptide.

The district has also established a marine peptide-themed innovation center, industry production center, marketing center and research and development center to boost the local marine biological peptide industry.

To date, the output of marine peptide products in Putuo has exceeded 80 million metric tons, making it an important growth driver for the district's seafood deep-processing industry.