Effects of Smoking and Sun Drying on the Carcass Quality of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The effect of smoking and sun-drying processing methods on the carcass quality of Oreochromis niloticus were studied to determine its proximate composition and organoleptic qualities. Totally 40 samples of fish were collected, of which 20 samples were smoked dried in a smoking kiln while the remaining 20 were sun-dried. The samples were analyzed using standard methods according to AOAC (2005). The organoleptic quality was assessed using a structured questionnaire based on Hedonic scale 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 for excellent, very good, good, fair and poor, respectively using a panel of 12 randomly selected judges. The sensory parameters for rating were taste, aroma, texture, appearance, and general acceptability. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS statistics 20.0 software. Results obtained showed that crude protein (52.57 ±0.03) and lipid content (8.90 ± 0.01) were higher in sundried carcass than in smoked carcass, with 47.88± 0.02 and 8.31±0.01 for crude protein content and lipid content, respectively. Smoked carcass maintained higher organoleptic quality with a higher acceptability ratio of 4.80±0.12 compared to the sundried samples (3.00±0.29). Sun-drying gave an optimal retention of nutrient content while smoking enhanced the organoleptic quality of the fish. It is concluded that both methods are effective for the preservation of fish. Sun-drying is however recommended for nutritional retention while smoking remains the better choice for enhanced flavour and consumer preference.