Whole-flow processing production method of instant dried sea cucumber

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sea cucumber processing, and particularly discloses a whole-process processing production method of instant dried sea cucumbers. According to the method, the activity of raw materials is guaranteed through specific temperature-controlled transportation, the activity of autolytic enzyme is inhibited by adopting a physical viscera removal and grading blanching process, and product texture optimization is realized under the condition of no chemical additive by combining a precise slicing and dual-mode drying technology. Neutral brine blanching parameters cooperatively control the enzyme denaturation degree, the slice thickness matches the drying dynamics requirement, and ozone sterilization replaces chemical corrosion prevention. The obtained product keeps elastic taste after rehydration, the normal-temperature storage stability is remarkably improved, and the technical defects that a traditional process depends on additives and is soft and rotten after rehydration are overcome.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of sea cucumber processing, and in particular to a full-process production method for instant dried sea cucumbers. Background Art

[0002] The processing of ready-to-eat sea cucumbers has long faced two major technical bottlenecks: first, the activation of sea cucumber autolytic enzymes during heat processing causes the tissue to become soft and rotten, and stabilizers such as phosphates often need to be added to maintain the shape, which has caused food safety controversy; second, the drying process has high energy consumption and is prone to nutritional loss, freeze-drying is expensive, and natural drying is prone to environmental pollution.

[0003] Existing technologies often rely on high-temperature sterilization or chemical preservatives, which extend shelf life but damage the natural texture and active ingredients of sea cucumbers. Blanching, in particular, lacks precise temperature control. Overheating leads to excessive protein denaturation, while insufficient temperature effectively inhibits autolytic enzyme activity. Therefore, the development of clean and efficient physical processing solutions is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this section is to summarize some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention and briefly introduce some preferred embodiments. Some simplifications or omissions may be made in this section and the abstract and title of this application to avoid obscuring the purpose of this section, the abstract and the title of the invention, and such simplifications or omissions should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0005] In view of the above problems in the prior art, the inventors proposed the present invention.

[0006] Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and provide a full-process processing and production method for instant dried sea cucumbers.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a full-process processing and production method for instant dried sea cucumbers, comprising the following steps:

[0008] (1) Raw material acceptance: Fresh sea cucumbers must be transported in low-temperature seawater at 5-8°C, with a dissolved oxygen content of ≥5 mg / L and a transportation time of ≤8 hours. Fresh sea cucumbers must be vigorous, with no more than 1% of the sea cucumbers peeling or vomiting their intestines, and no more than 1% of the sea cucumbers dying from stress.

[0009] (2) Pretreatment: After manual sorting, cut 1 / 3 of the body length along the abdomen, remove the internal organs and rinse with running water;

[0010] (3) Blanching and setting: Blanch in 0.9% salt solution at 80-85°C for 25-30 minutes;

[0011] (4) Slicing: Use a food-grade stainless steel slicer to cut into 3-5 mm thick slices;

[0012] (5) Drying: hot air drying at 30-40°C for 3-5 days or natural drying for 5-7 days, until the moisture content is ≤12%;

[0013] (6) Packaging sterilization: Inner packaging materials are sterilized with ozone concentration ≥ 30 mg / m 3 Or ultraviolet ≥ 40W sterilization for 45min±15min;

[0014] (7) Metal detection: Sensitivity is set to iron foreign matter ≤ Non-ferrous ≤

[0015] (8) Finished product storage: Store in a room temperature environment away from light, moisture and insect pests.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process processing and production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, the running water flushing in step (2) includes two independent cleanings, the first one to remove surface mud and sand, and the second one to flush the viscera residue.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process processing and production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, the salt solution in step (3) is prepared at a ratio of salt to water of 1:100, and the pH value is maintained neutral.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process processing and production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, the slicing direction in step (4) includes transverse cutting, longitudinal cutting or oblique cutting, and the contact parts of the slicer are made of 304 / 316 stainless steel.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, the material is turned over every 2 hours during hot air drying in step (5), and the laying thickness is ≤1 cm.

[0020] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process processing and production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, step (5) is carried out in a dustproof drying yard with the tray at a height of ≥20 cm from the ground.

[0021] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process processing and production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, wherein: step (6) is to immediately carry out vacuum skin packaging after sterilization, and products with poor sealing are rejected after quality control re-inspection.

[0022] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process production method of the instant dried sea cucumber of the present invention, wherein: step (7) uses a standard test block to verify the sensitivity of the metal detector every 2 hours, and the sensitivity is set to

[0023] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process production method for the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, no food preservatives or chemical additives are added during the entire process.

[0024] As a preferred embodiment of the full-process processing and production method of the instant dried sea cucumber described in the present invention, the mass ratio of the blanching liquid to the sea cucumber in step (3) is 1:5 to 1:8.

[0025] Beneficial effects of the present invention: The present invention achieves three breakthroughs through innovation in physical processes: First, the synergistic effect of low-temperature oxygen-controlled transportation and graded blanching process effectively inactivates autolytic enzymes without the use of chemical inhibitors, solving the problem of soft and rotten sea cucumbers during heat processing; second, the 3-5mm slice thickness design matches the dual-mode drying dynamics, significantly shortening the drying cycle and avoiding nutrient loss. Food-grade ozone sterilization and metal detection are integrated into the packaging process to replace traditional chemical preservation methods. The final product can be stored at room temperature for 12 months under zero-additive conditions, and the texture after rehydration is close to that of fresh ginseng, meeting the technical requirements of clean-label food. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments of the specification.

[0027] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] Secondly, the term "one embodiment" or "embodiment" herein refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic that may be included in at least one implementation of the present invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in various places throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute a separate or selective embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] This embodiment provides a full-process processing and production method for ready-to-eat dried sea cucumbers.

[0031] Specifically, the raw material processing process is as follows: 200 kg of fresh sea cucumbers are used as processing raw material, preferably sea cucumbers from Liaodong Bay with a body length of 15-20 cm. During the raw material transportation process, specific control conditions are as follows: transported in low-temperature seawater at a constant temperature of 5°C ± 0.5°C, the dissolved oxygen content is maintained at above 6 mg / L, and the transportation time is strictly controlled within 7 hours.

[0032] After arriving at the factory, further acceptance criteria are: skin peeling rate ≤ 0.5%, stress mortality ≤ 1%, and individuals that do not meet the standards will be eliminated.

[0033] As an embodiment, the pretreatment process is performed as follows:

[0034] Manual sorting and evisceration: On a food-grade stainless steel workbench, make a longitudinal incision across the abdomen of the coastal ginseng (approximately 1 / 3 of its body length, approximately 5-7 cm in length). Use specialized tweezers to completely remove the respiratory tree, gonads, and other visceral tissues, taking special care to avoid scratching the body wall muscle layer.

[0035] Gradual cleaning: Primary cleaning: Place the cleaned sea cucumbers in a running water tank for 10 minutes to remove surface mud and mucus;

[0036] Secondary cleaning: Use a 0.3MPa pressurized water gun to flush the body cavity in a directional manner to ensure that no internal organs are left. The preferred water gun nozzle diameter is 3mm, and the water flow is fan-shaped;

[0037] Bleaching and styling:

[0038] Solution preparation: Prepare 0.9% salt solution at a ratio of salt to water = 1:100 (specifically, add 900g of edible refined salt per 100L of water) and adjust the pH to 7.0±0.2;

[0039] Process parameters: Place sea cucumber and solution in a stainless steel double-layer kettle at a mass ratio of 1:6, heat at a rate of 2°C / min to 82°C ± 1°C, and maintain constant temperature for 28 minutes. Furthermore, manually stir every 5 minutes during the blanching process to ensure even heating.

[0040] Mechanical slicing: Use a 316 stainless steel slicer (compliant with GB4806 food grade standard) and calibrate the blade thickness to 4.0mm±0.1mm;

[0041] As a preferred solution, adopt the transverse cutting method, and disinfect the blades and contact parts with 75% ethanol after processing every 50 kg of products;

[0042] Hot air drying: Spread the slices flat on a stainless steel tray (specifically, the thickness is 0.8 cm) and place them in a hot air circulation drying room.

[0043] Temperature control in stages: first stage, drying at 30℃ for 12h → second stage, drying at 38℃ for 48h → third stage, drying at 35℃ for 12h;

[0044] Turning operation: Turn the material systematically every 2 hours, preferably 180 degrees to ensure even distribution of moisture, and the final moisture content is controlled at 11.5% ± 0.3%;

[0045] Packaging sterilization: The inner packaging is made of PET / AL / PE composite film, preferably sterilized by ozone (concentration 32mg / m 3 , exposure time 50min);

[0046] The vacuum sealing parameters were set as follows: vacuum degree -0.09 MPa, heat sealing temperature 180°C, and sealing time 3 s;

[0047] Metal detection: Use fully automatic metal detector with sensitivity set to

[0048] Quality control point: every 2 hours with standard test block ( Iron ball, Stainless steel ball) for sensitivity verification;

[0049] Finished product storage: Corrugated boxes are lined with moisture-proof film (specifically 0.1mm thick PE film), the warehouse environment is controlled at a temperature of 25℃±3℃, relative humidity ≤50%, and stored in a completely dark environment.

[0050] Furthermore, the product's rehydration time is shortened to 6 minutes (in boiling water), its elastic modulus reaches 34.2kPa, its total bacterial count is less than 80 CFU / g, and it maintains its integrity after 12 months of storage at room temperature, showing no signs of oil rancidity. Particularly notable is the use of a graded temperature-controlled drying process, which saves 22% energy compared to traditional constant-temperature drying.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] This embodiment provides a full-process processing and production method for ready-to-eat dried sea cucumbers.

[0053] Specifically, this embodiment is designed for non-hot air equipment, focusing on optimizing the coordinated operation of natural drying and intermittent drying:

[0054] Raw material pretreatment:

[0055] The same steps as in Example 1, steps 1-4, are followed, but a surface treatment step is added after slicing: spraying 0.5% citric acid solution (non-residual type), preferably at a spray rate of 50 mL / kg slice. This treatment can inhibit the proliferation of surface microorganisms during drying.

[0056] Dynamic drying system construction:

[0057] Drying unit: lay a bamboo sieve 25 cm above the ground (specific bamboo sieve aperture 0.5 cm) in a dust-proof drying area, and lay the slices in a single layer (thickness ≤ 0.7 cm);

[0058] Drying balance unit: equipped with a constant temperature drying room at 35℃±1℃ and a built-in humidity sensor (the preferred humidity control range is ≤30%RH);

[0059] As an innovative implementation method, the "sun drying and night drying" cycle mode is adopted:

[0060] Daytime (9:00-16:00): Dry under natural light, with real-time UV intensity monitoring ≤ Level 3 (to avoid photooxidation);

[0061] Night stage: transfer to the drying room to balance moisture for 6-8 hours;

[0062] Environmental control system: Install bird-proof nets (specific mesh size 2cm×2cm) and transparent dust covers;

[0063] More preferably, a particulate matter monitor (PM10≤10μg / m 3 ), the dust cover will automatically start when the standard is exceeded;

[0064] Turning and moisture monitoring:

[0065] Systematically turn the water three times a day (at 9:00 / 12:00 / 15:00), and take samples to test the moisture content after each turning;

[0066] As a quality control measure, a rapid moisture meter (accuracy ± 0.5%) was used, and when the moisture content dropped to 15%, the frequency of turning was increased to 4 times / day;

[0067] Packaging process adjustment:

[0068] The inner packaging material is changed to aluminum foil composite bag with light transmittance <5%;

[0069] Sterilization plan: Use ultraviolet sterilization (45W lamp, irradiation distance 30cm, time 55min), and immediately vacuum pack (interval time ≤ 10min);

[0070] This embodiment solves the defects of traditional drying by dynamically controlling the temperature and humidity balance:

[0071] Buffering the temperature difference between day and night: the night drying stage can eliminate the surface salt precipitation during the day (the crystallization rate is reduced from 18% to 3%);

[0072] Double inhibition of microorganisms: Citric acid treatment and ultraviolet sterilization work synergistically, with a mold detection rate of 0% (compared to the positive rate of 8.7% in the pure air-drying group).

[0073] Final product indicators: total drying time is 6 days, moisture content is 11.8%±0.5%, elastic consistency after rehydration reaches 92%, and salt distribution uniformity is improved by 40%.

[0074] Example 3

[0075] This embodiment provides a full-process processing and production method for ready-to-eat dried sea cucumbers.

[0076] Specifically, this embodiment uses three sets of comparative experiments to verify the critical effect of blanching parameters (80 - 85 °C; 25 - 30 min):

[0077] Experimental design:

[0078] A total of 150 kg of live sea cucumbers of the same batch (body length 18 cm ± 1 cm) are uniformly used as raw materials;

[0079] The fixed section thickness is 4 mm, and the hot air drying conditions are 35 °C / 72 h;

[0080] Only change the blanching parameters as shown in the following table:

[0081] Group Temperature (℃) Time (min) Solution concentration Group A 78 25 0.9％ Group B 83 28 0.9％ Group C 87 32 0.9％

[0082] Enzyme activity and texture analysis:

[0083] Residual activity of cathepsin B: detected by ELISA method, Group B ≤ 5% (Group A 41.2%, not detected in Group C);

[0084] Texture profile analysis (TPA):

[0085] Group A: chewiness 2.1 N ± 0.3 N (soft and rotten, score 2.1 / 5);

[0086] Group B (this invention): chewiness 4.8 N ± 0.2 N (Q - elastic, score 4.7 / 5);

[0087] Group C: chewiness 5.3 N ± 0.4 N (hard and tough with tissue breakage, score 1.8 / 5);

[0088] Morphological evaluation:

[0089] Integrity rate of section edge: Group B 98.2% (Group A 73.5%, Group C 89.1%);

[0090] Microstructure: Scanning electron microscopy shows that the arrangement of collagen fiber bundles in Group B is dense, obvious depolymerization appears in Group A, and excessive shrinkage occurs in Group C;

[0091] Retention rate of nutritional components:

[0092] Retention rate of sea cucumber polysaccharide: Group B 92.7% > Group C 85.3% > Group A 78.6%;

[0093] Loss rate of free amino acids: Group B 3.1% < Group A 8.3% < Group C 18.6%;

[0094] Mechanism analysis: The precise window of 83℃ / 28min can achieve selective inactivation of autolytic enzymes (mainly cathepsin B): below 80℃, the residual enzyme activity is >40%, resulting in autolysis and soft rot; above 85℃, it triggers excessive denaturation of myosin and forms a dense hard shell.

[0095] Furthermore, during continuous operation of the 10-ton / day production line, the product qualification rate under Group B parameters reached 99.1% (82.3% for Group A and 88.7% for Group C), proving that it is the optimal solution for quality control.

[0096] Furthermore, three examples verify the universality of the technical solution in large-scale production. The hot air drying process (Example 1) compresses the drying cycle to 72 hours and reduces energy consumption by 22% through staged temperature control and systematic turning. Its internal mechanism is to avoid the glass transition in the later stage of constant temperature drying; the natural drying improvement process (Example 2) introduces real-time monitoring of environmental parameters (PM10≤10μg / m 3 , UV intensity ≤ Level 3), upgrading traditional workshop-style production to controllable clean processing. Boundary validation of blanching parameters (Example 3) further confirmed at a molecular level that the 83°C / 28-minute process window resulted in a 95% unfolding rate of the α-helical structure of cathepsin B, while only losing 12% of the myosin β-sheet. This selective denaturation marks a leap forward in the precise control of sea cucumber processing. The final product, with zero additives, offers a 12-month shelf life at room temperature. Its commercial value lies not only in a 60% reduction in logistics costs, but also in driving the industry from a "preservative-dependent" approach to "clean label" competition, providing a technological paradigm for the entire dried aquatic product industry.

[0097] By revealing the difference between the thermal denaturation threshold of sea cucumber autolytic enzyme and the stability of structural proteins, a technical path for medium-temperature physical enzyme inhibition was created; by utilizing the matching relationship between slice thickness and drying dynamics, the texture bottleneck of traditional processes was broken through; and through terminal physical intervention of ozone / ultraviolet sterilization, a food safety closed loop without the need for chemical additives was established. This innovative model, which deeply integrates biological characteristic analysis, physical process regulation, and equipment parameter optimization, not only solves long-standing pain points such as the rehydration and softening of ready-to-eat sea cucumbers and the dependence on additives, but also provides the entire food processing field with a methodological reference for "precisely controlling biomass structure through physical means." The universality of its technology has been verified by industrial production lines and has paradigmatic significance for promoting the upgrading of traditional aquatic product processing industry to clean and intelligent ones.

[0098] It should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, which should all be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A full-process processing and production method for instant dried sea cucumber, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: (1) Raw material acceptance: Fresh sea cucumbers are transported in low-temperature seawater at 5-8°C, with a dissolved oxygen content of ≥5 mg / L and a transportation time of ≤8 h; (2) Pretreatment: After manual sorting, cut 1 / 3 of the body length along the abdomen, remove the internal organs and rinse with running water; (3) Blanching and setting: Blanch in 0.9% salt solution at 80-85°C for 25-30 minutes; (4) Slicing: Use a food-grade stainless steel slicer to cut into 3-5 mm thick slices; (5) Drying: hot air drying at 30-40°C for 3-5 days or natural drying for 5-7 days, until the moisture content is ≤12%; (6) Packaging sterilization: Inner packaging materials are sterilized with ozone concentration ≥ 30 mg / m 3 Or ultraviolet ≥ 40W sterilization for 45min±15min; (7) Metal detection: The sensitivity is set to ≤φ1.5mm for iron foreign matter and ≤φ2.0mm for non-iron foreign matter; (8) Finished product storage: Store in a room temperature environment away from light, moisture and insect pests.

2. The full-process processing and production method of an instant dried sea cucumber as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The running water flushing in step (2) includes two independent cleanings, the first to remove surface sediment and the second to flush the internal organs.

3. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The salt solution in step (3) is prepared at a ratio of salt to water of 1:100, and the pH value is maintained at a neutral level.

4. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Step (4) The slicing direction includes transverse cutting, longitudinal cutting or oblique cutting, and the contact parts of the slicer are made of 304 / 316 stainless steel.

5. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber according to claim 1, wherein: During the hot air drying in step (5), the material is turned over every 2 hours and the laying thickness is ≤1 cm.

6. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber according to claim 1, wherein: Step (5) is carried out in a dustproof drying yard with the tray at a height of ≥20 cm from the ground.

7. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber according to claim 1, wherein: Step (6) After sterilization, vacuum skin packaging is immediately performed, and products with poor sealing are rejected after quality control re-inspection.

8. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber according to claim 1, wherein: Step (7) Verify the metal detector sensitivity using a standard test block every 2 hours.

9. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber according to claim 1, wherein: No food preservatives or chemical additives are added throughout the process.

10. The full-process processing and production method of a ready-to-eat dried sea cucumber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mass ratio of the blanching liquid in step (3) to the sea cucumber is 1:5 to 1:8.