Sensory Evaluation and Consumer Acceptability of Farmed African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Smoked with Neem Wood and Charcoal

Abstract

Beyond nutritional and chemical considerations, the sensory properties of smoked fish are equally central to its market acceptability and consumer preference. This study evaluated the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of African catfish smoked using neem wood and charcoal as alternative smoking fuels. The experiment was conducted at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Fish Farm Complex, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three treatments: fresh fish (control), neem wood-smoked fish, and charcoal-smoked fish. A total of 45 pieces (15kg) of healthy catfish were processed and smoked for 6 hours. Sensory evaluation was carried out by a panel of twenty semi-trained assessors who rated appearance, flavor, texture, and taste using a 4-point hedonic scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a 95% confidence level. Results showed that charcoal-smoked fish received higher ratings for appearance (55.00% excellent) and texture (50.00% excellent), while neem wood-smoked fish achieved superior ratings for flavour (55.00% excellent) and taste (40.00% excellent). Both smoking treatments produced products that were generally rated as very good to excellent, indicating high consumer acceptability. The findings suggest that both neem wood and charcoal are suitable smoking fuels for catfish processing. However, neem wood offers additional advantages of enhanced flavour, improved nutritional quality, and greater environmental sustainability due to its availability and renewability in northern Nigeria. The study concludes that neem wood is a viable and sustainable alternative to charcoal for fish smoking without compromising consumer acceptance or product quality.