Effects of chemical preservatives and liquid smoke on the microbial quality of smoked and oven dried tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Fish is a major source of protein and its degradation keeps causing post- harvest losses and a decline in fish supply. Nowadays, preservatives are frequently used to keep fish from spoiling. The effects of using chemical preservatives (Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate) and locally prepared liquid smoke prior to smoking and oven drying of tilapia fish was carried out using standard microbiological methods. In the result obtained across Day 0 to Day 21 of storage, microbial load (THB, TF, TCC and TSC) ranged between 3.25-6.92 log10 cfu/g for the control (Untreated samples) and zero/no count – 5.82 log 10 cfu/g for the treated samples, after they samples were subjected to treatments prior to smoking and oven drying the THB count was reduced. Although, there were no significant difference p