Seaweed as an Ingredient for Nutritional Improvement of Fish Jerky

The effect of seaweed incorporation on the quality of fish jerky was studied. Sargassum wightii was incorporated in proportions of 0, 3, and 5% in Tuna jerky batter formulation. Physicochemical, microbiological, antioxidant, and sensory qualities were assessed. Total fiber content increases from 0.91 to 2.49% in seaweed incorporated sample. The additional seaweed produced samples with less tensile strength. The results showed that addition of seaweed increase the amounts of the macro minerals and trace elements in the jerky. Addition of seaweed improves antioxidant quality by decreasing IC50‐DPPH of the product from 0.98 to 0.65 mg/ml. Addition of seaweed up to 3% did not affect the organoleptic quality. Sargassum wightii can be a potent functional ingredient in convenient food like jerky. Practical Applications Jerky is a convenient ready‐to‐eat dried product, shelf‐stable at room temperature. Jerky is generally made by mixing comminuted meat with appropriate seasonings. Dried seaweed powder can be an ingredient in such products as seaweeds are used extensively as food in South East Asian countries. Seaweeds included as components of fish products would improve nutritional quality and also induce positive effects on health. This study was taken up to combine the positive effect of seaweed to dry‐fish product like jerky.