In recent years, interesting solutions have been tested to contain the phenomenon of “jellyfish bloom” or, at least, for use these planktonic organisms in an alternative way. One of the possible uses is precisely the food one since Some species of jellyfish are ediblehave good nutritional properties and a flavor appreciated by many. Someone, thinking of that gelatinous body and those stinging tentacles, will certainly have “turned up their nose” at the mere thought of having to ingest them, but their use as food is very common in Asia and has been in China for at least two thousand years. According to recent data from the FAO, the quantities of jellyfish fished for food use at a global level are quite high and are equivalent to those of octopuses And cuttlefish. At present, they are marketed in Thailand, Korea, Japan and China, while in the West they are classified as “Novel Food”, a bit like insect flours. Their use in Europe is still in the experimental phase and they are not present on the marketbut in the future they could also represent an alternative and more sustainable food in our latitudes.
What are the edible jellyfish species?
They are well known 10,000 species of jellyfish, but Not they all are edible. Many species of the order Rhizostome, such as the Crambionella (Crambionella anandalei) or the Flame jellyfish (Rhopilema esculentum), are traditionally used in Asia because they are widespread in the seas of South-East Asia, others, common in the Mediterranean, are being tested for human consumption in Europe.
Among these the Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia labiata), the Luminous jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca), the Mediterranean Cassiopeia (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) and the Sea lung (Rhizostoma pulmo) are among the main candidates for food use.
The edible part is the gelatinous umbrellaonce the internal organs and tentacles which contain cells with poison stinging. They must be processed within a few hours of being caught because they deteriorate easily; they must therefore be dried, frozen or salted. The Chinese traditionally treat them with the Aluman aluminum salt needed for dehydrate them and make them crunchybut the levels of residues of this heavy metal in the product make it incompatible with European food regulations. Heat treatments are being tested in Europe and new processing techniques must be identified to make the food palatable.
Nutritional Values and Flavor of Edible Jellyfish
Jellyfish are made up of a lot of 95-98% water; the mineral salt content is highin particular Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium. Compared to other foods they have a very low calorie contentI am rich in proteins And low fat, which makes them excellent from a nutritional point of view.
The main protein component is represented by collagen and they are also present essential amino acids. They are also rich in Omega-3. As regards the tasteis described by many as delicate and similar to that of the molluscs.
What are the other possible uses of jellyfish?
Recent studies conducted by several teams of scientists are experimenting with theuse of these aquatic organisms in various biotechnological applications. For example:
- from their gelatinous umbrella it is possible to extract collagen for the cosmetics;
- with their mucus you get a sort of bio-filter that captures and holds the microplastics present in the waters waste;
- dried And pulverized They are an excellent fertilizer rich not only in salts mineralsbut also of others nutrients easily absorbed by the plant;
- extracts some species of jellyfish are able to block there proliferation of tumor cells in vitro.
In short, jellyfish could support forms of circular economy and sustainable use of a currently particularly abundant resource.
