Brining as an effective method to stabilise sea lettuce (Ulva fenestrata) -impact on colour, texture, chemical characteristics and microbial dynamics

Brining as a cost-effective stabilising method to preserve the quality of fresh Ulva fenestrata was studied. The brines contained from 0 to 25 % (w/w) of sodium chloride or from 0 to 50 % sucrose and were combined with seaweed at a ratio of 1: 10 (w/v) prior to storage at 4 °C for up to 3 months. During this storage, the water activity of U. fenestrata was reduced from 0.94 to ≤0.89 with ≥15 % salt brines, which kept the microbial load <7 log (CFU/g) for 78 days. Among the sucrose brines, 50 % provided microbial shelf life <7 log (CFU/g) for 48 days. Further, 25 % salt or 50 % sucrose brines effectively retained the greenness (a*) of the U. fenestrata blades (< −20 a*-value for 80 days), while the tensile strength was only retained with 25 % salt brine (>3 Newton for 80 days). There was a time-dependent loss of crude proteins and fatty acids during storage, especially for 50 % sugar brined seaweed, where 58 % and 28 %, respectively, were lost after 20 days. Nutrients were best preserved in the 5 % salt-brine. Overall, the results indicate that brining with 25 % salt or 50 % sugar yields microbial stability and maintained colour of U. fenestrata for at least 48 days, with the former even exceeding 78 days at 4 °C, however, at a cost of nutritional value.