Ceará to host Brazil's first tilapia skin dressing factory

A new factory specializing in tilapia skin dressings will be established in Jaguaribara, Ceará, representing an initial investment of over R$ 52 million. The facility will utilize technology developed by researchers from the Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM) at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) to transform tilapia skin, currently a fishery byproduct, into high-value pharmaceutical biomaterial for treating wounds and burns.

Scheduled to begin operations in 2028, the plant aims to process an initial 180,000 skins per month, with plans to expand to 400,000 skins by the end of the third year. The production process involves freeze-drying technology and gamma radiation sterilization, allowing the dressings to be stored at room temperature. This feature facilitates distribution to remote areas, conflict zones, or humanitarian disaster sites, where they can be rehydrated with saline solution.

Approximately half of the production is intended for export to hospital centers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The project is a partnership between the state government and the private company Biotec, utilizing raw materials from local fishers at the Castanhão Reservoir. Estimated annual revenue is projected to grow from R$ 58 million to R$ 130 million over the first three years.