EFFECT OF DIFFERENT FUEL ENERGY SOURCES FOR SMOKING ON THE QUALITY OF SMOKED Clarias gariepinus

Abstract

The research was carried out to evaluate the effect of different fuel energy sources for smoking on the quality of smoked Clarias gariepinus. Thirty-six (36) live Clarias gariepinus with average weight of 508 g were purchased from Mobil Fish Market, Minna, Niger State, the samples were divided into three (3) batches of twelve (12) pieces each and were smoked using Vitellaria paradoxa (shea butter) firewood, Prosopis africana (African mesquite) charcoal and rice husk briquettes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) analysis was carried out to determine the levels of PAHs in the smoked samples. Four (4) carcinogens of health risk were identified: benzo(a)fluoranthene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene in all the samples. There was significant difference (p<0.05) in all the PAHs levels of all the smoked samples. Samples smoked with charcoal were low in benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene and benzo(a)pyrene while samples smoked with briquettes have the highest levels of the PAH4 except benzo(a)anthracene which was found to be low.