Interesting research on the impact of drying/storage temperature on pathogen load of edible kelp
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Last week Jessica Vorse presented important research during her thesis defense: The Effect of Post-harvest Storage Temperature and Drying Method on the Pathogen Load of Edible Seaweed. @Jessica_Vorse and I outlined some of the most relevant findings below:
-Edible seaweed should be stored below 39˚F as soon as possible after harvest to control the replication of any possible food pathogen contaminants on the product's surface
-Air-drying and freeze-drying are effective ways to reduce the pathogen load on edible seaweed's surface; air-drying leads to statistically significantly lower pathogen loads than freeze-drying in some cases
-Air-drying has the potential to represent a kill step for edible seaweed. The results alone do not provide sufficient justification for air-drying as a kill step, so more research is needed.
It's important to note that Saccharina latissima and Ascophyllum nodosum (sugar kelp and rockweed) were the only species in this study. Research has found that every seaweed species has a markedly different natural microbiome which could alter the way food pathogens respond. These results cannot be confidentially applied to other seaweed species.
Congrats, Jessica and thank you for your important work!
Another great resource is this seaweed handling/processing infographic which was a collaborative effort between the labs of Carrie Byron, Kristin Burkholder, and Jen Perry. The graphic design was done by Cara Blaine.
@grace_collery -Thank you for sharing my findings, if anyone has questions I would be happy to talk more!