COMPARISON OF FUELWOODS EFFICIENCY AND KEEPING QUALITY OF Bagrus bajad (FABRICIUS, 1775) SMOKED WITH DIFFERENT WOOD TYPES

Abstract

The study examined the efficiency of different wood types commonly used amongst fish processors in Dustin-Ma local government area of Katsina state and their effects on smoked Silver Catfish. Five treatments (A-E) comprising of five wood types A= Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), B= Jackalberry tree (Diospyros mespiliformis), C= Kinkeliba tree (Combretum micranthum), D= Purple Orchid tree (Piliostigma reticulatum) and E= charcoal was used. A total of 125 silver catfish (Bagrus bajad) were purchased from the Garhi landing site of Zobe Reservoir in Dustin-Ma local government area. The fish were washed, gutted, brined in 5% salt solution and then divided into five treatments (A, B, C, D and E) of 3Kg each (fish) and were each assigned to a specific wood type. Fish were smoked using modified smoking kilns, smoked fish was allowed to cool for one hour and then packed in a perforated cardboard box and stored at a prevailing room temperature. The microbial loads were quantified using biochemical characterization. Results showed that charcoal had a higher efficiency of 16.7% while the lowest was 4.3% in fish smoked with purple Orchid tree. Total fungal count ranged from 0 to 7.05 x 102cfu/g. The highest bacterial count was recorded as 14.93 x 102cfu/g in fish smoked with Jackalberry tree while the lowest count was 1.85 x 102cfu/g in fish smoked with Kinkeliba tree. Conclusively, charcoal and Neem tree were found to be the most efficient amongst the wood types, while the best keeping quality was achieved with Neem tree. Considering the cost of production and storage, Neem tree and charcoal are recommended to be used through the indirect smoking method.