Impact of Different Combinations of Processing Steps on Product Quality and Proximate Composition of : A Case Study from Sri Lanka.

(dried sea cucumbers) is considered as one of the most luxurious seafood in the world. The market demand for mainly depends on species and product quality. This study is aimed at assessing the effect of different processing methods on the product quality and nutritional composition of . Three sea cucumber species, , , and , dominant in the commercial catches of Sri Lanka, were processed by following widely practiced local processing methods where 24, 48, and 24 different processing combinations were tested for each species, respectively satisfying the export quality were selected by considering their appearance and overall ranking made by exporters (9 individuals per each combination). The proximate composition of these products was assessed using standard methods. According to the exporters' prioritization, very few processing methods used in this study resulted in the export-quality . Both product quality and proximate composition showed considerable variations with respect to the processing methods. It is proved that even a very small change in one processing step could lead to produce poor-quality products. Processing methods are species specific, and it is important to select the most appropriate method for each species to produce high-quality .