Physicochemical Characteristics of Salted Jellyfish Processed in Southeast Asia

The study investigated the chemical composition, pH, and texture of salted jellyfish processed in Indonesia, Thailand, and China as a pilot study for processing the jellyfish Nemopilema nomurai, which occurs in Korean coastal waters. The 14 samples of salted jellyfish included processed umbrella and oral arms and consisted of 68.4-78.3 g/100 g moisture, 1.79-4.37 g/100 g crude protein, and 0.07-0.41 g/100 g crude lipid. The total amino acid content was 2.30-4.69 g/100 g and glycine accounted for 20.07-37.37% of the total amino acids. Salting jellyfish reduces the possibility of microbial growth and enhances the shelf life because the samples have a pH of 3.77-4.35, salinity of 18.53-24.02%, and lower water activity of 0.77-0.80. The lightness (L), redness (a), and yellowness (b) of the samples were 53.98-61.32, 1.76-6.26, and 14.08-29.0, respectively. The springiness, strength, and hardness of the salted jellyfish differed significantly among the products. The sample processed in Indonesia had the highest springiness. While the chemical composition, pH, water activity, and color differed significantly among the products, there were no significant effects of the country of manufacture. These results will enable the determination of quality index parameters for salted processed Nemopilema nomurai caught in Korean coastal.