International Journal of Food Properties

ISSN: 1094-2912 (Print) 1532-2386 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ljfp20

Sensory quality of smoked Clarias gariepinus

(Burchell, 1822) as affected by spices packaging
methods

AYELOJA Ayodeji Ahmed

To cite this article: AYELOJA Ayodeji Ahmed (2019) Sensory quality of smoked Clarias�gariepinus
(Burchell, 1822) as affected by spices packaging methods, International Journal of Food Properties,
22:1, 704-713, DOI: 10.1080/10942912.2019.1597880

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10942912.2019.1597880

© 2019 AYELOJA Ayodeji Ahmed. Published

with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Published online: 22 Apr 2019.

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES
2019, VOL. 22, NO. 1, 704–713
https://doi.org/10.1080/10942912.2019.1597880

Sensory quality of smoked Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) as

affected by spices packaging methods
AYELOJA Ayodeji Ahmed
Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, PMB, Ilorin, Nigeria

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Effect of packaging materials and spices on the sensory quality of smoked Received 13 August 2018
Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) was evaluated. The smoked C. gariepinus Revised 13 March 2019
treated with garlic, ginger, garlic–ginger homogenate, and the control Accepted 15 March 2019
(unpreserved) was stored for 112 days at ambient temperature inside KEYWORDS
plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) and nylon (polythene). The four groups Packaging materials; spices;
garlic, ginger, garlic–ginger homogenate spiced fish, and the control sensory quality; smoked;
(unpreserved) fish samples comprising 216 fish in each group totaling 864 Clarias gariepinus; storage
fish (226 ± 23 g) were euthanized, gutted, cleaned, and hot-smoked using
Nigeria Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR) smoking
kiln, packaged, and sampled at 14-day intervals for a period of 112 days at
ambient temperatures (27 ± 2°C). Organoleptic assessment was carried out
by a semi-trained taste panel. Data obtained were subjected descriptive
statistics (mean) and virtual analysis (bar chart). The results indicated that
garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish was rated as having the best
odor (mean score 9.25) at the onset of the experiment, followed by ginger-
preserved catfish (mean score 7.58). However, control was rated as having
the best texture (mean score 8.25), followed by garlic–ginger homogenate
(mean score 7.17). Plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) was established as
a better packaging material than nylon (polythene) as the scores allotted by
taste panelists started decreasing earlier for the odor and texture of the
smoked fish samples with increased storage time when packaged inside
nylon. Garlic–ginger homogenate was recommended as both preservative
and spices of C. gariepinus, while plastic was recommended as better
packaging material at room temperature.

Introduction
Fish is one of the most important foods on the planet. Its flesh is a source of high-quality protein, and for
many, in less developed parts of the world, it represents a significant proportion of the animal protein in
their diet. It is either taken as fresh fish or cured in a variety of ways such as smoking, salting, drying,
charring, icing, and chilling.[1] There is a global increase in the consumption of fish and fish products as it
constitutes more than 60% of the total protein intake in adults especially in the rural areas where they are
widely accepted and form a much-cherished delicacy that cuts across economic, age, religious, and
educational barriers.[2,3] Some researchers reported that fish accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s
total supply of animal protein sources. Fish supplies a good balance of protein, vitamins, and minerals
with very low carbohydrate content, hence, its role in nutrition is recognized.[4] However, fish is one of
the perishable staples; it spoils very quickly because of intrinsic and extrinsic factors.[5] A problem that
has been identified in the storage of smoked fish in Nigeria is that of rapid deterioration as a result of high
ambient temperatures, poor postharvest handling, lack of processing, and storage facilities, thereby

CONTACT AYELOJA Ayodeji Ahmed ayeloja2@gmail.com ayeloja2@gmail.com Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries,
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, PMB, Ilorin, Kwara State 1515
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ljfp.
© 2019 AYELOJA Ayodeji Ahmed. Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES 705

creating the gap between the demand and supply of fish resulting in shortage of fish and posing great
challenge to food security of the increasing population of the entire nation.[6,7] Some of the different types
of preservation methods employed to reduce fish spoilage include drying, smoking, freezing, chilling, and
brining. However, smoking has been used for fish preservation for centuries and is the most common
fish preservation method employed in most rural communities in Nigeria.[8,9] Natural compounds in
fruits and vegetables such as polyphenols such as flavonoids and tannins have shown to have preservative
effects on fish and are often being used as food spices.[10,11] Some of the common natural spices mostly
used in food preservation include garlic (Allium sativum Linn.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), and
lime (Citrus aurantifolia Linn.).[11–13] Food packaging serves the needs of marketing and also helps
preservation of foodstuffs especially processed ones. It is one of the most important unit operations in the
agro-processing industry as it performs the functions of protecting the product against external polluting
agents, giving the product marketing value and providing the customer with information about
ingredients or how to use the product.[14] Survey carried out by many scientists in Nigeria shows that
traditional packages and packaging of smoked fish products are generally not impermeable to moisture,
insects, and microorganisms and also offer little protection from physical damage and microbial invasion
which often lead to post harvest losses.[13] Some of the recognized packaging materials in Nigeria include
nylon (polyethylene), baskets, plastic (polyethylene terephthalate), jute bags, baskets and jute bags,
cartons, etc.[13,15] Thus, the use of nylon (polyethylene) and plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) for
this study due to their availability and affordability.[16] Taste and smell play a major role in appetite, food
choices, and nutrient intake for the following reasons; first, these chemosensory signals prepare the body
to digest food by triggering salivary, gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal secretions which are termed
cephalic phase responses; second, they enable us to detect and discriminate among foods in the face of
fluctuating nutritional requirements; third, they enable selection of a nutritious diet as there exist
associations between a food‘s taste (or smell) and its postingestive effects as taste enables the consumer
to modulate food intake in the anticipation of its nutritional consequences. Thus, taste sensations serve as
an indicator of a food‘s nutritional value. Fourth, taste and smell signals initiate, sustain, and terminate
ingestion, and hence play a major role in the quantity of food that is eaten and the size of meals. Fifth,
taste sensations induce the feelings of satiety and are the primary reinforcers of eating, thereby, justifying
the use of texture, odor, and flavor (which is a combination of taste and odor) in determining the sensory
quality of the differently packaged smoked Clarias gariepinus, which is the most cultivated fish species
in Nigeria.

Materials and methods

Sample collection
Eight hundred and sixty four live catfish, C. gariepinus, with an average weight of 226 ± 23 g were
collected by dragging with a drag net from an earthen pond at Ire Akari fish farm, Omi-Adio, Ibadan
Oyo State Nigeria and conveyed using plastic bowls within 43 min to the fish processing unit of the
Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT), Moor Plantation
Ibadan. Fish collection was carried out between 07.00 and 09.00 am to reduce stress. Six kilogram
each of dried garlic A. sativum bulb and ginger Z. officinale rhizome were bought at Bodija market in
Ibadan Oyo state Nigeria, transported to the fish processing laboratory of FCAH&PT and ground
into powder using sterile explosion proof waring blender (New Hartford, CT). Samples from
powdered A. sativum and Z. officinale were also collected and homogenized manually in a ratio
1:1 to give garlic–ginger homogenate. Two hundred and eighty eight transparent plastic (polyethy-
lene terephthalate) and transparent zip-lock nylon bags (polythene) were purchased from Alesinloye
market in Ibadan Oyo state Nigeria, while 12 plastic baskets were also purchased to store the
unpackaged fish products.
706 A. AHMED

Experimental site
The experimental site was the Department of Fisheries Technology of the FCAH&PT, Moor
Plantation Ibadan where the NIOMR smoking kiln was used for the study.

Processing of fish samples

Fish samples were euthanized[17] by adding 20 g table salt/kg fish in plastic container for 10 min,
gutted, eviscerated, washed in portable water, immersed in 15% brine for 5 min[18] then divided into
four groups comprising 216 pieces each.

Treatment of fish samples with preservatives

No preservative was added to the first group of fish (control), while the remaining three groups were
treated with garlic, ginger, and garlic–ginger homogenate at ratio 1:20 g for preservative fish after
which they were smoked. Seventy-two samples of each treated smoked catfish were then packaged in
nylon (polythene) and plastic (polyethylene terephthalate), while others were left unpackaged at
ambient temperatures (25–36°C). The samples were stored for 112 days and sampled at 14-day
intervals for organoleptic quality. The fish were euthanized, spiced, and packaged following the
procedure of Ref. [9].

Treatments and experimental design

The experimental design was a 4 × 3 × 9 factorial experiment comprising of the following factors:
A—Four treatments (1) Co—no preservatives (control), (2) garlic—A. sativum (GA), (3) ginger—
Z. officinale (GI), and (4) mixture of GA and GI (GG);
B—Three packaging materials (1) no packaging, (2) polythene (nylon), and (3) polyethylene
terephthalate (plastic); and
C—Nine different storage time (1) 1 day, (2) 14 days, (3) 24 days, (4) 42 days, (5) 56 days, (6)
70 days, (7) 84 days, (8) 98 days, and (9) 112 days.

Organoleptic assessment
Smoked fish samples stored at ambient temperatures were collected for organoleptic assessment at
every 14-day intervals for 112 days. The sensory quality attributes evaluated were based on a 5-point
hedonic scale from the modified methods of Refs. [19,20]. The parameters examined were odor,
flavor, and texture; and the following grades were allotted: 8 ≤ 10 = excellent, 6 ≤ 8 = very good,
4 ≤ 6 = good, 2 ≤ 4 = bad, and ≤2 = very bad. Twelve semi-trained panelists from the FCAH&PT,
Ibadan were used for the assessment.

Statistical analysis
The data were subjected to descriptive statistics (mean) and virtual analysis (bar chart) of the
respondents’ rating of the products in terms of odor, flavor, and texture (preservatives) by the
different packaging materials (no packaging, nylon, and plastics).

Results
The result of the effect of different preservatives on the odor of unpackaged smoked catfish stored at
ambient temperatures as presented in Fig. 1 indicates that garlic–ginger homogenate preserved
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES 707

12.00
10.00
Mean Odour Score 8.00
6.00
4.00
Control
2.00 Garlic
0.00 Ginger
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
Day 1 Day84
14 28 42 56 70 98 112 Garlic-Ginger
Control 7.25 8.08 6.83 6.92 6.67 6.00 6.50 5.75 4.50
Garlic 7.08 7.08 7.42 7.25 6.58 6.42 6.17 6.17 4.67
Ginger 7.58 7.25 7.75 6.50 7.08 6.50 6.08 5.75 5.33
Garlic-Ginger 9.25 7.67 8.08 7.50 7.42 7.17 6.92 7.08 5.08
Storage time (Days)

Figure 1. Effect of different preservatives on the odor of unpackaged smoked catfish stored at ambient temperatures.

catfish was rated as having the best odor immediately after smoking (with mean score of 9.25),
followed by ginger-preserved catfish (with mean score of 7.58). Similarly, trend was observed on the
28th, 42th, 56th, 70th, 84th, and 98th days of storage at ambient where the odor of garlic–ginger
homogenate preserved catfish rated as the best with the mean score 8.08, 7.50, 7.42, 7.17, 6.92, and
7.08, respectively. However, ginger was rated to have the best odor when stored at ambient on the
112 day of storage. The result also indicates that the scores allotted by taste panelists for the odor of
smoked fish samples started reducing from the 56th day of storage at ambient through 112 days
when no packaging was used with the exception of garlic–ginger homogenate preserved smoked
catfish whose allotted scores started reducing after the 98th day of storage at ambient.
Similarly, the result in Fig. 2 indicates that the taste panelist ranked the catfish preserved with
garlic–ginger as having the best odor on the 1st, 14th, 28th, 56th, 70th, 84th, and 98th days of storage
with mean scores 9.25, 8.17, 7.58, 6.75, 7.17, 7.08, and 6.50, respectively. Ginger-preserved smoked
catfish was however rated as having the odor when packaged inside nylon on the 42nd day of storage
with mean score 7.25. The result also indicates that the scores allotted by taste panelists for the odor
of smoked fish samples started reducing after the 70th day through 112 days of storage when nylon
was used as packaging material.

12.00
10.00
Mean Odour Score

8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00 Control
0.00
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Garlic
Day 1
14 28 42 56 70 84 98 112
Ginger
Control 7.25 7.50 7.00 6.92 6.00 6.25 5.83 5.33 5.58
Garlic-Ginger
Garlic 7.08 7.17 7.00 6.67 6.58 6.67 6.17 6.00 5.33
Ginger 7.58 6.50 7.17 7.25 6.50 6.83 5.92 5.42 5.17
Garlic-Ginger 9.25 8.17 7.58 6.75 6.75 7.17 7.08 6.50 5.50
Storage time (Days)

Figure 2. Effect of polythene as packaging materials on the odor of differently preserved smoked catfish stored at ambient
temperatures.
708 A. AHMED

The result on Fig. 3 also indicates that garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish was rated to
have the best odor throughout the period of storage when packaged inside plastic (polyethylene
terephthalate) with the mean score of 9.27, 7.82, 8.09, 7.45, 7.73, 7.82, 7.09, 6.82, and 6.00 on the 1st,
14th, 28th, 42nd, 56th, 70th, 84th, 98th, and 112th days of storage, respectively. The result also
indicates that the scores allotted by taste panelists for the odor of smoked fish samples started
reducing after the 70th day through 112 days of storage when plastic was used as packaging material.
The result of the effect of different preservatives on the flavor of unpackaged smoked catfish
stored at ambient temperatures as presented in Fig. 4 indicates that the flavor of unpreserved smoked
catfish was rated as the best immediately after smoking (with mean score of 9.00), followed by
garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish (with mean score of 8.59). However, garlic–ginger
homogenate preserved catfish was rated as having the best flavor on the 14th, 28th, 42nd, 84th,
and 98th days of storage with mean scores 8.50, 8.50, 7.33, 7.08, and 6.58, respectively. The result
also indicates that the scores allotted by taste panelists for the flavor of smoked fish samples started
reducing at the 98th day through 112 days of storage when no packaging was used.
The result in Fig. 5 indicates that taste panelists perceived the flavor of garlic–ginger homogenate
to be the best when packaged inside nylon and stored at ambient for the 14th, 28th, 42nd, 56th, 84th,

12.00
Mean Odour Score

10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00 Control
0.00
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Garlic
Day 1
14 28 42 56 70 84 98 112
Ginger
Control 7.25 7.17 6.58 6.92 6.58 6.33 6.58 6.08 5.67
Garlic-Ginger
Garlic 7.08 7.08 7.58 7.08 6.50 6.92 6.00 6.17 4.92
Ginger 7.58 7.17 7.50 6.67 7.25 7.08 6.42 5.75 5.42
Garlic-Ginger 9.27 7.82 8.09 7.45 7.73 7.82 7.09 6.82 6.00
Storage time (Days)

Figure 3. Effect of polyethylene terephthalate as packaging materials on the odor of differently preserved smoked catfish stored at
ambient temperatures.

10.00
9.00
8.00
Mean Flavour Score

7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00 Control
2.00
1.00 Garlic
0.00 Ginger
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
Day 1 Day84
14 28 42 56 70 98 112 Garlic-Ginger
Control 9.00 7.50 7.17 7.08 6.67 6.83 6.25 6.25 4.92
Garlic 7.25 7.75 7.33 7.17 7.67 7.83 6.17 6.17 4.92
Ginger 7.92 6.58 7.67 7.17 7.00 7.25 5.83 5.92 5.33
Garlic-Ginger 8.58 8.50 8.50 7.33 7.33 7.33 7.08 6.58 5.33
Storage time (Days)

Figure 4. Effect of different preservatives on the flavor of unpackaged smoked catfish stored at ambient temperatures.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES 709

Mean Flavour Score

10.00
9.00
8.00
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00 Control
0.00
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Garlic
Day 1
14 28 42 56 70 84 98 112
Ginger
Control 9.00 7.17 7.42 7.08 6.83 6.92 6.17 5.33 5.92
Garlic-Ginger
Garlic 7.25 8.00 7.17 7.33 7.50 7.58 6.00 6.00 4.75
Ginger 7.92 7.08 7.50 7.42 6.92 7.33 5.75 5.58 4.92
Garlic-Ginger 8.58 8.08 8.25 7.58 7.75 7.08 6.92 6.58 6.00
Storage time (Days)

Figure 5. Effect of polythene as packaging materials on the flavor of differently preserved smoked catfish stored at ambient
temperatures.

98th, and 112th days as it had the mean score of 8.08, 8.25, 7.58, 7.75, 6.92, 6.58, and 6.00,
respectively, while ginger-preserved catfish (with mean score of 7.58) was rated as having the best
flavor on the 70th day of storage. Similar trend as observed in the flavor of unpackaged smoked fish
where scores allotted by taste panelists for the flavor of smoked fish samples started reducing at the
98th day through 112 days was also observed when nylon was used as packaging material.
The result in Fig. 6 also indicates that the garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish was rated to
have the best flavor on the 14th, 28th, 42nd, 56th, 70th, 84th, and 98th days of storage when plastic
(polyethylene terephthalate) was used as packaging material with the mean score of 8.73, 8.55, 8.36,
8.09, 7.73, 7.36, and 7.18, respectively. The flavor of the smoked catfish without preservatives was
however rated as the best at the 112th day of storage when plastic was used as packaging material.
The result also indicates that scores allotted by taste panelists for the flavor of smoked fish samples
when nylon was used as packaging material started decreasing at the 98th day through 112 days of
storage at ambient which was similar to the result obtained when the smoked fish samples were
stored unpackaged and when they were packaged using nylon as packaging material.
The result of the effect of different preservatives on the texture unpackaged smoked catfish stored
at ambient temperatures as presented in Fig. 7 indicates that unpreserved smoked catfish was rated
as having the best texture immediately after smoking (with mean score of 8.25) and the 14th day of
storage (with mean score of 8.08). However, garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish was rated as
Mean Flavour Score

10.00
9.00
8.00
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00 Control
0.00
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Garlic
Day 1
14 28 42 56 70 84 98 112
Ginger
Control 9.00 7.50 7.00 7.50 6.17 6.08 6.25 6.75 5.75
Garlic-Ginger
Garlic 7.25 8.33 7.25 7.08 7.58 7.50 6.67 5.92 4.92
Ginger 7.92 8.25 7.83 7.25 7.42 7.17 6.58 5.67 5.08
Garlic-Ginger 8.64 8.73 8.55 8.36 8.09 7.73 7.36 7.18 5.64
Storage time (Days)

Figure 6. Effect of polyethylene terephthalate as packaging materials on the flavor of differently preserved smoked catfish stored
at ambient temperatures.
710 A. AHMED

10.00
9.00
8.00

Mean Texture Score

7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00 Control
2.00
1.00 Garlic
0.00 Ginger
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
Day 1 Day84
14 28 42 56 70 98 112 Garlic-Ginger
Control 8.25 8.08 7.08 6.92 7.17 6.67 6.42 5.92 5.08
Garlic 6.00 7.25 7.42 6.92 6.50 6.08 6.42 5.92 4.42
Ginger 6.50 7.00 7.83 7.00 7.42 6.75 5.67 5.75 5.00
Garlic-Ginger 7.17 7.08 7.83 7.42 7.50 6.83 6.75 6.58 5.25
Storage time (Days)

Figure 7. Effect of different preservatives on the texture of unpackaged smoked catfish stored at ambient temperatures.

having the best texture on the 28th, 42nd, 56th, 70th, 84th, 98th, and 112th days of storage at
ambient with mean score 7.83, 7.42, 7.50, 6.83, 6.75, 6.58, and 5.25, respectively. The result also
indicates that the scores allotted by taste panelists for the texture of smoked fish samples started
reducing from the 56th day of storage at ambient through 112 days when no packaging was used.
Similarly, the result in Fig. 8 indicates that the texture smoked catfish preserved with garlic–
ginger as was the best odor on the 14th, 84th, 98th, and 112th days of storage with mean score 8.24,
7.08, 6.75, and 4.29, respectively, when nylon (polyethylene terephthalate) was used as packaging
material, while the ginger-preserved smoked catfish was rated as the best on the 28th, 56th, and 70th
days of storage with mean score 7.50, 7.33, and 6.67, respectively, when packaged in nylon (poly-
ethylene terephthalate). The result also indicates that the scores allotted by taste panelists for the
texture of smoked fish samples started reducing from the 70th day through 112 days of storage when
nylon was used as the packaging material with the exception of garlic–ginger homogenate preserved
smoked catfish which score allotted started reducing after the 98th days of storage at ambient.
The result in Fig. 9 also indicates that garlic–ginger homogenate preserved catfish was rated
having the best texture at the 28th, 42nd, 56th, 84th, 98th, and 112th days of storage, respectively,
with the mean score of 8.18, 7.82, 7.00, 7.00, and 5.18, respectively, when plastic (polyethylene

10.00
Mean Texture Score

9.00
8.00
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00 Control
1.00
0.00
Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Garlic
Day 1
14 28 42 56 70 84 98 112
Ginger
Control 8.25 7.58 7.17 7.25 6.83 6.42 6.00 6.08 4.83
Garlic-Ginger
Garlic 6.00 7.50 7.42 7.25 6.75 6.25 6.17 6.08 4.33
Ginger 6.50 5.83 7.50 7.00 7.33 6.67 5.67 5.50 4.58
Garlic-Ginger 7.17 8.25 7.33 7.17 7.00 6.50 7.08 6.75 4.92
Storage time (Days)

Figure 8. Effect of polythene as packaging materials on the texture of differently preserved smoked catfish stored at ambient
temperatures.
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES 711

Mean Texture Score

9.00
8.00
7.00
6.00
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00 Control
0.00
Day Garlic
Day 1 Day 14 Day 28 Day 42 Day 56 Day 70 Day 84 Day 98
112
Ginger
Control 8.25 7.67 7.00 7.08 6.58 6.17 6.00 6.25 5.17
Garlic-Ginger
Garlic 6.00 7.92 7.58 7.08 7.00 6.33 6.17 6.17 4.42
Ginger 6.50 6.25 7.25 7.00 7.25 6.75 6.33 5.67 4.67
Garlic-Ginger 7.18 6.91 8.18 7.82 7.09 6.55 7.00 7.00 5.18
Storage time (Days)

Figure 9. Effect of polyethylene terephthalate as packaging materials on the texture of differently preserved smoked catfish stored
at ambient temperatures.

terephthalate) was used as packaging material. However, ginger-preserved smoked catfish was rated
best on the 56th and 70th days of storage (with mean values of 7.25 and 6.75, respectively), while
garlic-preserved smoked catfish was rated having the best texture at the 14th day of storage (with
mean value of 7.92) when plastic was used as the packaging material. The result also indicates that
the scores allotted by taste panelists for the texture of smoked fish samples started reducing from the
84th day through 112 days of storage when plastic was used as the packaging material with the
exception of garlic–ginger homogenate preserved smoked catfish whose allotted scores started
reducing after the 98th days of storage at ambient.

Discussion
The result of this study indicates that garlic–ginger homogenate smoked catfish is the best preferred in
terms of odor, flavor, and texture irrespective of the packaging material used for storage; it also took
longer time before taste panelists also allotted lower scores to the odor and the texture of garlic–ginger
homogenate smoked catfish during storage when compared with other spiced smoked catfish irre-
spective of the packaging material used. This suggests that smoked catfish can be glamorized by the
addition of homogenized garlic–ginger rather than using either garlic or ginger alone, this will attract
consumers’ attention and improve the market value of smoked fish.[21] It is a very important marketing
strategy to glamorize products in order to attract the consumer’s attention; Refs. [11,22] also opined
that applying garlic and ginger to fish before smoking has beneficial effects on the overall quality of the
final products such as improved taste, color, flavor, and general acceptance during storage.[22] Smoked
C. gariepinus samples treated with ginger were more acceptable by taste panelists than the untreated
one.[23] Food attributes are an important factor in predicting consumers’ perceptions in food choices
decision.[24] The study of food attributes indicated that the satisfaction levels of ethnic foods varies
depending on diverse food attributes such as taste, fresh, colorful, uniqueness, and healthiness.
The superiority of plastic as a packaging material in retaining the sensory quality of smoked catfish
over nylon was also established in this study as the result of this study also indicated that the taste
panelists started allotting lower scores for the odor of unpackaged smoked catfish at the 56th day; they
also started allotting lower scores for those packaged using nylon at the 70th day of storage at ambient,
while they started allotting lower scores for those packaged using plastic after the 70th day of storage.
Similar trend was observed in the texture of the smoked catfish as the taste panelists started allotting
lower scores for the texture of unpackaged smoked catfish at the 56th day, while lower scores were
allotted for those packaged using nylon at the 70th day of storage at ambient while they started
allotting lower scores for the texture of smoked fish packaged using plastic at the 84th day of storage at
712 A. AHMED

ambient temperature. Plastic as a packaging material performs better function as a tool that protects
and contains smoked fish product so that the environmental effect on smoked fish in the package is
minimized in line with the opinion of Refs. [25,26]. Good packaging material will improve the
storability of smoked dried fish by increasing the shelf life; this is better achieved by plastic as
packaging material when compared with nylon. The observed general decrease in sensory quality of
the smoked fish samples over time is similar to that observed by many authors like in Ref. [8] who also
observed general significant decrease in aroma, texture, and color in hot smoked rainbow trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) that was packaged using different packaging materials during storage.

Conclusion
The study established that African mud catfish C. gariepinus is better spiced with garlic–ginger
homogenate as the taste panelist preferred the odor, flavor, and texture of smoked garlic–ginger
spiced smoked catfish than when garlic or ginger is used singly or when no preservative was added.
It was also established that plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) is a better packaging material than
polythene as the scores allotted by taste panelists started decreasing earlier for the odor and texture
of the smoked fish samples with increased storage time when packaged inside nylon. It is thus
recommended that garlic–ginger homogenate be used as both preservative and spices of
C. gariepinus as it gives better odor, flavor, and texture than using only garlic or ginger; it is also
recommended that plastic should be used as packaging material to package smoked catfish to
improve its marketing on the shelves in super markets. This will lead to improvement of the value
chain of fish, reduce impact damage on smoked fish, and provide additional business opportunity for
investors as well as enhancing the export value of smoked fish.

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