Effects of Three Smoking Kilns on the Sensory Quality of Smoked Dried Tilapia Fish (Oreochromis Niloticus)

Abstract

The sensory characteristics (colour, texture and taste) of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) smoked with three types of smoking kilns, used by artisanal fishermen in Nigeria were evaluated. Results showed that the best colour, texture and taste were produced from the modified drum kiln, followed by the traditional mud kiln, while the tripod stand production colour, texture and taste that were not acceptable by a panelist. The mean scores were as follows: 7.68, 6.72, and 1.64 for colour; 7.96, 6.48 and 2.88, for texture; 7.28, 6..24 and 1.48 for taste. It is therefore recommended that the modified drum and traditional mud kilns could be used for fish smoking to meet consumers acceptability.

KEY WORDS: Sensory Quality, Smoked Tilapia, Kiln