Shelflife of whole fresh lake Malawi tilapia (Oreochromis species - Chambo) stored in ice

Abstract

Lake Malawi Tilapia (chambo) fish species is widely consumed and forms the most important commercial fishery in Lake Malawi. However, as a highly perishable commodity, knowledge regarding how long fresh fish would remain in acceptable and safe condition in storage is indispensable for consumers and processors. Presently, no such information exists for the Lake Malawi Tilapia in Malawi. A study was therefore conducted to estimate shelflife of whole fresh Lake Malawi Tilapia stored in ice (0 o C) for 21 days. Sensory, microbiological and pH analyses were conducted to describe changes in quality and freshness of the fish with storage time in ice. Shelflife of the fish was estimated between 16 and 18 days. A strong linear correlation (R 2 =0.95) was observed between sensory demerit scores and storage time in ice. Total bacteria viable counts and pH at the time of sensory rejection of the fish were 1.6×10 7 cfu/g/cm 2 and 5.84 respectively. Pseudomonas and Micrococcus bacteria were found in relatively high numbers throughout the storage period. The study demonstrated that like other tropical fish, Lake Malawi Tilapia has a relatively longer shelflife. The long storage life in ice of Lake Malawi Tilapia is advantageous to most small scale fresh fish sellers and processors especially from rural areas in Malawi who solely depend on ice as a sole and affordable way of preserving fresh fish.

Effect of cooking method on proximate and mineral composition of lake Malawi tilapia (Oreochromis karongae)

“…Values for nutrient composition of the fresh fish in this study were close to those reported earlier by Kapute et al [7] for fresh Lake Malawi tilapia confirming that the fish is rich in protein. Significant changes in the nutrient values of the fish after being subjected to different types of cooking methods were observed, and these, therefore, echo many earlier reports that processing compromises the nutritional quality of fish [2,4,5].…”

“…Lake Malawi tilapia (O. karongae) is the most commonly consumed cooked food fish sold in Malawi. While some information is available regarding the nutritive values of raw (unprocessed) Lake Malawi tilapia [6,7], this information is lacking for fish processed using different cooking methods. The present study was, therefore, carried out to investigate the effects of different cooking methods (boiling, roasting, pan frying, and the use of a traditional fireless cooker) on the proximate and mineral composition of O. karongae (Lake Malawi tilapia).…”

Effect of smoking and sun drying on proximate composition of diplotaxodon fish species (ndunduma) from Lake Malawi, Malawi

“…Ndunduma is among lean fish species which are generally considered to contain high ash levels [25]. Results generally showed an increase in the ash content of the processed samples agreeing with earlier studies [9] that ash content increases with dry processing in fish.…”

Development of Quality Index Method Scheme for Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Stored in Ice: Shelf-Life Assessment by Physicochemical, Microbiological, and Sensory Quality Indices

“…Bacterial counts obtained near the end of storage can be considered as low compared to those obtained in other freshwater species (Chytiri et al, 2004;Scherer et al, 2006;Li et al, 2012;Kapute et al, 2013) and also marine species (Hozbor et al, 2006;Ӧzogul et al, 2006Ӧzyurt et al, 2009;Sant'Ana et al, 2011). This can be explained by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence the microbial capacity to invade and develop in the muscle and, consequently, the spoilage rate and the shelf life of the product (Huss, 1998).…”