ReseaRch PaPeR Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences Vol. 24 : 30– 33 DOI: 10.24200/jams.vol24iss1pp30-33 Reveived 18 Nov 2018 Accepted 14 Nov 2019 Variations in consumer’s acceptability and proximate composition of yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) with processing methods A. A. Ayeloja1, F.O.A. George, W. A. Jimoh, S. A. Abdulsalami A. A. Ayeloja1( ) ayeloja2@gmail.com, Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, University of Ilorin, PMB 1515 Ilorin, Kwara State, Ni- geria Introduction Consumers have become increasingly interested in fish as a source of dietary protein due to the rising cost of meat protein foods (Emere and Dibal, 2013). Fish as a whole, has a lot of food poten- tial and can therefore be expected to provide relief from malnutrition, especially in developing countries (Ashraf et al., 2011). It constitute about 60% of the total protein intake in adults especially in rural areas (Adeleye, 1993). Foran et al. (2005) pointed that fish is a highly protein containing food consumed by a larger percentage of population because of its availability and palatability. In Nigeria, fish is eaten fresh, preserved or processed (smoked) and form a much-cherished delicacy that cuts across socio-economic, age, religious and educational barriers (Adebayo-Tayo et al., 2008). However, the gap between demand and supply of fish is widening due to increase in population, poor postharvest handling, lack of processing and storage facilities and utilization of unconventional fish species (Ogbonnaya and Ibrahim, 2009). Different fish processing and preservation meth- ods are used to slow down spoilage resulting in fish that are both be safer for consumption and with an increased shelf-life. Researchers have also studied the effect of processing methods on the nutritional qualities of dif- ferent fish species. Nutritive and organoleptic changes of Nigerian traditionally-processed freshwater fish spe- cies were studied by Afolabi et al. (1984). The effect of traditional drying processes on the nutritional values of fish was studied by Eves and Brown (1993). Changes in chemical composition and nutritional quality of fried Sardine (Clupea pilchardus) produced by frozen stor- age and microwave reheating were reported by Castril- lon et al. (1997). Ayeloja et al. (2013) reported the effect االختالفات يف قبول املستهلكني والرتكيب الكيمائي للكروكر األصفر )Larimichthys polyactis( مع طرق التصنيع أيلويا ا.ا. وجورج ف.و.ا. وجيموح و.ا. وعبداللسالمي س.ا. Abstract. The effect of processing methods on the proximate composition and consumer’s acceptability of yellow croakers were investigated. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with several processing methods. Frozen yellow croaker fish of 12 kg were purchased, cut into chunks, divided into 4 groups of 3 kg each, each group was salted and then subjected to different processing methods including: air drying in the sun, deep-frying, solar drying and smoking. After processing, the products were subjected to organoleptic assessment using an hedonic scale while the proximate composition was determined using standard experimental procedures. The results of this study indicated that the odour and flavour of smoked fish product were significantly (p < 0.01) preferred by consumers. Solar dried fish product had highest percentage crude protein (71.45 kg/100 kg sample) followed by smoked fish product (70.43 kg/100 kg sample) while smoked fish product had the highest crude ash (10.73 kg/100 kg sample). The study suggested that it was better to process quality yellow croaker using solar dryers and smokers to attract customers. Keywords: Consumers; proximate composition; processing methods; yellow croaker. املســتخلص: مت دراســة تأثــر طــرق التصنيــع علــى الرتكيــب الكيميائــي وقبــول املســتهلك لســمك الكــرور األصفــر. وقــد إتبعــت التجربــة تصميًمــا إحصائيــا عشــوائًيا متاًمــا مــع طــرق التصنيــع املســتخدمة. مت شــراء أمســاك الكروكــر الصفــراء اجملمــدة بــوزن 12 كجــم ، مقطعــة إىل قطــع ، مقســمة إىل 4 جمموعــات كل منهــا 3 كجــم ، ومت إضافــة امللــح علــى كل جمموعــة مث تعريضهــا ألســاليب تصنيــع خمتلفــة مبــا يف ذلــك: التجفيــف اهلوائــي الشمســي ، القلــي العميــق ، التجفيــف بالطاقــة الشمســيه والتدخــن . بعــد عميلــة التصنيــع ، مت دراســة املنتجــات بإســتخدام طــرق التقييــم احلســي باســتخدام مقيــاس هيدونيــك وكذلــك دراســة الرتكيــب الكيميائــي باســتخدام التجــارب القياســية. أشــارت نتائــج هــذه الدراســة إىل أن رائحــة ونكهــة منتــج الســمك املدخــن مــن قبــل املســتهلكن كانــت مفضلــة بدرجــة كبــرة )P>0.01(. حيتــوي منتــج األمســاك اجملففــة بالطاقــة الشمســية علــى أعلــى نســبة مــن الربوتــن اخلــام )71.45 كجــم / 100 كجــم عينــة( يليــه منتــج الســمك املدخــن )70.43 كجــم / 100 كجــم عينــة( بينمــا حيتــوي منتــج الســمك املدخــن علــى أعلــى نســبة رمــاد خــام )10.73 كجــم / 100 كجــم عينــة(. أشــارت الدراســة إىل أنــه مــن األفضــل إســتخدام جمففــات الطاقــة الشمســية و التدخــن للحصــول علــى منتــج ذات جــودة عاليــة مــن مســك الكروكــر األصفــر جلــذب املســتهلكن. الكلمات املفتاحية: املستهلكون ، الرتكيب الكيميائي ، طرق التصنيع ، الكروكر األصفر 31Research Article Ayeloja, Jimoh, Abdulsalami of processing methods on the nutritive value of catfish (Clarias gariepinus). However, there is little information on the effect of processing methods on the nutritional quality of Yellow croaker, thus the need for this study. Schiffman and Graham (2000) reported that taste and smell played an important role in developing ap- petite, making food choices, and nutrient intake for the following reasons: (1) these chemosensory signals prepare the body to digest food by triggering salivary, gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal secretions, which are termed cephalic phase responses, (2) they enable us to detect and discriminate among foods in the face of fluc- tuating nutritional requirements. Taste and smell enable selection of a nutritious diet as there are associations be- tween a food taste or smell and its post-ingestion effects as taste enable the consumer to modulate food intake in anticipation of its nutritional consequences. Thus, taste sensations serve as an indicator of a particular food nu- tritional value. In addition, taste and smell signals ini- tiate, sustain and terminate ingestion, and hence play a major role in the quantity of food that is eaten and the size of meals. Taste sensations induce feelings of satiety and are primary reinforced by eating. Thereby, justifying the use of texture, odour and flavour (which is a com- bination of taste and odour) in determining consumers’ acceptability of various food, in this case differently pro- cessed yellow croaker. Materials and methods The experiment followed a completely randomized de- sign where the treatments were the various processing methods employed. Twelve (12 kg) frozen yellow croak- er fish was purchased from the cold room of Atlantic Shrimpers limited, Ring Road, Near Challenge Round- about, Ibadan Oyo State, Nigeria. These were transport- ed within 17 minutes to the fish processing unit of Feder- al College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH & PT) Moor Plantation, where these were cut into chunks and then divided into 4 groups of 3 kg each. Each chunk was washed, salted and then subjected to different processing methods including: air drying in the sun (sun drying), deep-frying, solar drying (in a solar oven) and smoking. Sun drying was done for 4 days us- ing locally constructed sun drying rack with appropriate screen, which protected the product from direct contact with insects. The average ambient temperature during the period of the experiment was 27oC ± 3oC. Deep-fry- ing was performed in vegetable oil in a pot on a hot flame with occasional flipping in order to achieve even frying. Frying was achieved within 21 minutes at a tempera- ture of about 240ºC. Solar drying was achieved in 4 days using locally constructed solar dryer with appropriate screen, which protected the product from direct contact with insects. Smoking was done at the temperature of 90oC ± 10oC for 42 hours using NIOMR (Nigeria Insti- tute for Oceanography and Marine Research) smoking kiln installed in the fish processing unit of the Fisher- ies Technology Department, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH & PT) Moor Plantation Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria. Charcoal was used to generate heat and smoke. The various processed fish products were subject- ed to sensory quality evaluation using descriptive test based on 5-point hedonic scale modified from Tobor (1994) and Eyo (2001). Odour, flavour and texture were the sensory attributes examined. The following grades were allotted depending on their qualities: 8 – 10 = Ex- cellent, 6 – 8 = Very good, 4 – 6 = good, 2 – 4 = bad and ≤ 2 = worst. Twelve trained panelists from the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology Ibadan were used for the assessment. The proximate composition of the fish samples was determined using Table 1. Effect of processing methods on the perceived physical attributes (hedonic scale) of yellow croaker. Fish products Odour Kruskal–Wallis (c2) p-value Flavour Kruskal–Wallis (c2) p-value Texture Kruskal–Wallis (c2) p-value Sun dried 25.65 36.836** 0.01 20.59 40.705** 0.01 36.76 3.932 0.27 Fried 53.38 52.68 28.56 Solar dried 16.47 18.53 31.85 Smoked 42.50 46.21 40.82 **Kruskal Wallis test (c2) is significant between rows at p < 0.05 Figure 1. Effect of processing methods on texture of pro- cessed yellow croaker 32 SQU Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, 2019, Volume 24, Issue 1 Varations in consumer’s acceptability and proximate compostion of yellow croaker with processing methods the standard methods of AOAC (1994). Statistical analysis Data collected on descriptive organoleptic assessment using hedonic scale were subjected to nonparametric test (Kruskal Wallis test) and data collected on proxi- mate composition were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine significance between means. Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) was used to com- pare differences among means. Significant level was chosen at p < 0.05. Results and discussion There was a significant difference between the odour of differently processed yellow croaker (c2=36.836, p<0.01) with fried product, rated as having the best odour fol- lowed by smoked fish product (Table 1). There was also a significant difference between the flavour (c2=40.705, p<0.01) of the various processed fish products with fried yellow croaker rated as having the best flavour followed by smoked product (Table 1). Ayeloja et al. (2013) re- ported similar result in their study of the effect of pro- cessing methods on nutritive value of catfish (Clarias gariepinus). The result of this study also agrees with the opinion of Jang et al. (2009). In their study of food at- tributes as reported that the satisfaction levels of ethnic foods varies depending on diverse food attributes such as taste, fresh, colorful, uniqueness and healthiness. In related veins, Lin (1991) observed that oyster con- sumption was mainly influenced by five food attributes, including taste, nutritional value, freshness, cost and safety. However, there was no significant difference (c2 =3.932, p > 0.05; Table 1) in the perceived texture of the various fish products although there was a small prefer- ence for smoked fish, (29%) over sundried fish product (27%) and fried fish (21%) (Fig.1). The results of the effect of processing methods on proximate composition of yellow croaker (Table 2) in- dicated that processing methods showed effect on the proximate composition of processed yellow croaker. Og- bonnaya and Ibrahim (2009) also reported that different drying methods affected the proximate compositions of catfish. The moisture content of the various fish prod- ucts was significantly different (P<0.05) with fried fish having the highest moisture content (30.44 +0.04 g/100 g sample). A similar trend was observed for percentage lipid composition with fried fish product had the high- est percentage of lipids (18.58+0.02 g/100 g sample). However, solar dried fish product had the highest crude protein (71.45+0.02%) which was significantly differ- ent (p<0.05) from the protein content of the other fish products, which suggests that proteins in solar dried fish product were retained and less denatured by pro- cessing method employed than in other processed fish products. Fried fish had the lowest percentage protein. This is in accordance with the findings of Gokoglu et al. (2004), Tao and Linchun (2008). There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the percentage ash of the various fish products with smoked fish product having the high- est ash content (10.73 + 0.01 g/100 g sample). Oyero et al. (2012) expressed a similar opinion that smoked fish products showed significant higher levels of ash content, which was as a result of inorganic matter which remains on it after the organic matter burnt. This signifies that the smoked fish products had high levels of mineral con- tents. Conclusion This study indicates that consumers prefer the odour and flavor of fried fish product above others followed by that of smoked fish product. On the other hand, solar-ov- en dried fish had the highest crude protein followed by smoked fish. 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