Comparative Sensory Evaluation of Wild African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Smoked with Neem Wood (Azadirachta indica) and Hard Wood Charcoal

Abstract

Fish constitutes an important source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients; however, its highly perishable nature necessitates effective preservation methods. Smoking remains one of the most widely adopted traditional preservation techniques in Nigeria, although the choice of smoking fuel may influence the sensory quality and consumer acceptability of the final product. This study evaluated the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of wild African catfish smoked using neem wood and hard wood charcoal to identify the most suitable fuel source for commercial processing. A Completely Randomized Design with two treatments, neem wood-smoked fish, and hard wood charcoal-smoked fish was employed, in triplicate. Forty-five samples weighing between 300 and 400 g were collected from Tiga Dam, Kano State, Nigeria, processed under standardized smoking conditions, and subjected to sensory evaluation by twenty semi-trained panelists. Appearance, flavour, texture, and taste were assessed using a 4-point sensory quality rating scale, while the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Anova at 5% level of significance. The results revealed that hard wood charcoal-smoked fish received significantly (P < 0.05) higher ratings for all sensory attributes than fish smoked with neem wood. Hard wood charcoal-smoked samples attained 65% combined Excellent and Very Good ratings for appearance, 80% Good-or-better ratings for flavour, 45% top-two ratings for texture, and 85% Good-or-better ratings for taste. Conversely, neem wood-smoked fish received predominantly Fair ratings, particularly for flavour (55%) and taste (60%), indicating poor consumer acceptability. The inferior sensory quality of neem wood-smoked fish was attributed to the bitter phytochemical constituents released during the combustion of neem wood, whereas the stable combustion characteristics of hard wood charcoal produced a more desirable colour, aroma, texture, and taste. The study concludes that hard wood charcoal is a superior smoking fuel for producing sensory acceptable smoked wild African catfish and recommends its adoption by artisanal and commercial fish processors to improve product quality, consumer acceptance, and marketability.