EFFECT OF SALT AND LIME JUICE ON PROXIMATE COMPOSITION AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS OF SMOKED AFRICAN CATFISH (Clarias Gariepinus)

Abstract

Fresh African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) were subjected to different concentrations of table salt (sodium chloride) and lime juice and smoked in a smoking kiln before evaluation for proximate composition and organoleptic characteristics. The experimental treatments are the control, Og salt and Oml lime juice-T1, 50g salt-T2, 100ml lime juice-T3, 50g salt and 50ml lime juice-T4, 50g salt and 75ml lime juice-T5 as well as 50g salt and 100ml lime-T6. Fish of average weight 5kg were randomly assigned to each treatment and the control. The fish were soaked in the respective treatment solutions for 1 hour after which they were gutted, washed and smoked for 15hours in a smoking kiln. After smoking, the fish were stored in air- free netted sieves and placed on a shelf for 12 hours before they were packed in see through nylons. Samples were therefore subjected to proximate and sensory analysis. Results showed that crude protein of smoked Clarias gariepinus were better in lime juice (70.18±0.94), salt and lime juice combination treated samples(70.38±0.94,72.69±0.94, 72.93±0.94) and increased with increasing level of lime juice and salt combinations compared to the control (68.39±0.94) and the salt treated sample (67.08±0.94). The treatments containing salt and lime juice in varying combinations also reduced the moisture content especially in T5 and T6 (6.84±0.29, 6.78 ±0.29) respectively. There was no significant difference in the sensory assessment in terms of appearance, colour, taste, texture, aroma and general acceptability. These results indicated that using lime juice and salt combination may be useful in improving the nutritive value, shelf life and consumer acceptability of smoked Clarias gariepinus.