Impact of harvesting method and advanced post-harvest processing technologies on the potentially toxic trace elements and iodine content of brown seaweed Alaria esculenta.

The concentration dynamics of potentially toxic trace elements (PTTEs), such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) as well as iodine (I) (micronutrient) were investigated across multiple post-harvest processing strategies in the brown seaweed Alaria esculenta (A. esculenta), traditionally consumed in coastal regions of Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. Homogenized composite samples of wild and cultivated biomass were subjected to conventional (blanching, drying) and advanced physical technologies (ultrasound (US), microwave (MW), US+MW). Representative composite samples of wild and cultivated Alaria esculenta were investigated to evaluate the impact of post-harvest processing on PTTEs and iodine. Results revealed that alternative stabilisation strategies followed by oven drying effectively reduced PTTEs and I level. In particular, the hybrid process (US+MW) was identified as the optimal strategy due to its superior efficiency in minimizing PTTEs while maintaining effective iodine reduction. This work underscores the importance of processing strategy selection in managing the safety risk of potentially toxic trace elements contamination while enhancing or retaining the nutritional profile of edible seaweeds.