Enhancing the quality of sea pineapple Halocynthia roretzi by using ozone fine bubbles

This study examined the effect of ozone fine bubbles (OFB) processing (bubble size: 0.8-5.0 µm, number of bubbles: 1.6×1014 individuals) at 20℃ on the quality of the sea pineapple Halocynthia roretzi, as well as the effect of different storage methods (in cold seawater of 2℃ or in seawater ice of -1.5 to -2.0℃) on the quality. In the group stored in cold seawater after the OFB treatment for 24 hours, a significant decrease in the number of viable bacteria in the body and higher S and V values of the squirt fascia were found on day 7, comparing to those of the others. Also, the squirt fascia remained a fresh yellow color until 7 days after storage. On the other hand, the colors of the squirt fascia and the peeled juice of sea pineapple stored in seawater ice changed from yellowish or pale yellow to brown. Thus, the storage of sea pineapple in seawater ice around freezing temperature caused the degradation of quality. These results indicate that storage in cold seawater after OFB treatment is effective for maintaining the high quality of sea pineapple.