Sensory evaluation of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) smoked with melon shell briquettes and firewood

Abstract

Agricultural Biomass can play a significant role in alternative energy generation. Briquetting of melon shell residues can alleviate some of the problems of energy shortage being encountered world-wide. This study was conducted to determine and compare the suitability and efficiency of melon shell briquettes as an alternative energy sources to fuel wood in fish smoking with a view to mitigate the measures in firewood utilization. Briquettes were made using a hydraulic press machine. A metal rectangular die of dimension 12.3cmx9. 2cmx7.3cm length, Width and height respectively, Fish samples collected were smoked using fuel wood and melon shell briquettes in a modified drum smoking kiln. Sensory (organoleptic) parameters of the samples were determined and the results subjected to statistical analysis using One-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA). Except their color, the samples were not significantly different (p>0.05) in the (taste, odor and texture) sensory attributes. However, the densification characteristics of briquettes were 0.12, 0.09 and 0.20 lengths, breadth and mass, respectively and 1.94 and 0.52 relaxation and density ratio respectively. The Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) recorded was 4.10 and 3.82 kg/kg of fresh fish, smoked with fuel wood and melon shell briquettes at the costs of ₦41. 73 and ₦29. 10, respectively. The burning rate (BR) recorded was 0.023 and 0.022kg/min, for firewood and melon shell briquettes respectively. It was, therefore, concluded that melon shell briquettes should be efficiently used as an alternative to fuel wood in fish smoking. Since Both Firewood and melon shell briquettes yielded best-smoked fish products. Then Smoking of fish can be done using melon shell briquettes as an alternative source of fuel to reduce energy scarcity and promote environmentally friendly practice in waste management. Constant turning of fish and regulating of the smoke density and temperature should be adequately taken care of during smoking.