Effects of processing method on chemical compositions and nutritional quality of ready-to-eat sea cucumber ( Apostichopus japonicus ).

The effect of commercial processing methods on the nutritional value of ready-to-eat (RTE) sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicas was examined in this study. RTE sea cucumber products named RTE-T and RTE-V were prepared by two commercial methods, traditional processing, and vacuum cooking, respectively. Proximate, polysaccharide and mineral element composition, amino acid profiles, and true retention values of RTE sea cucumber products were evaluated and compared. Both commercial processing methods significantly changed the nutrient composition in RTE products, except that of Zn and Cu. Comparison of true retention values among RTE products showed that novel commercial method of vacuum cooking resulted in lower nutrient loss and had a shorter processing time than traditional processing. However, soaking after vacuum cooking significantly increased the nutrient loss of RTE sea cucumber. Therefore, vacuum cooking without soaking may be a promising alternative for producing RTE sea cucumber products with high nutritional quality.