The Effect of Chitosan of Ark Clam Shells to Reduce Pb and Hg Level and Amount of Bacteria in the Blood Cockles Meatball

Chitosan of ark clams shell is regarded as untapped waste; it has potential as a heavy metal chelating agent and anti-bacterial. The objective of this research is to examine the effect of chitosan of the ark clams shell as a chelating agent to decrease of Pb and Hg level in the blood cockles meatball. This research is also aimed at exploring the capability of chitosan of the shell in decreasing the bacteria within blood cockle meatball. This research conducted complete randomized design with the provision of five-level of chitosan concentration, i.e., 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2.0%. Atomic-Absorbent Spectrophotometric (AAS) method used to examine the level of Pb and Hg within the meatball, while the total of bacteria was determined by using Total Plate Count (TPC) method. The data were analyzed by using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Least Significant Difference (LSD) test. The results reveal that the administration of chitosan of ark clam on blood cockle meatballs reduced Pb levels from 0.195 ppm to 0.168 ppm, while Hg levels reduced from levels of 0.018 to 0.008 ppm, and the number of bacteria from 2.4 × 102 to 1.4 × 102 colony/g. In conclusion, the chitosan of the ark clams shell can ensure the safety of the meatball product.