Abstract
As a very common feature of fish marketing, small-scale fisheries in tropical countries suffers from huge post-harvest loss every year. A method was proposed to quantify the post-harvest quality loss of wet fish using sensory based assessment tool. The assessments were conducted on four fish species (rohu Labeo rohita; Ilish Tenualosa ilisha, catfish Pangasius sutchi and tilapia Oreochromis niloticus) in different steps of major distribution channels in Bangladesh for a year. Sensory quality defect point data were standardized with corresponding biochemical and microbiological quality parameters through interval estimate based on regression analysis, where a near to actual sensory quality breaking point was found to be DP 3.3. High value of goodness of fit 2 R indicated a highly fitted regression model for all the fishes tested, with highly significant (p<0.01) estimated regression coefficients. Percent quality loss of fish at each step of distribution channel was determined using DP 3.3, constructing a (1-?) confidence interval for average percentage of defective fish. The loss assessment study indicated that fish did not lose quality during handling by the fishermen, and fish farmers or at landing centers and primary fish markets, except fresh T. ilisha destined for consumer market. While, T. ilisha used for salting during glut catch suffered substantial loss. Most of the quality losses were initiated at the transporters and commission agents, from 4% in P. sutchi to 11% in O. niloticus. When fish come to retailers, a 16% loss was recognized in L. rohita and O. niloticus, but 7% in P. sutchi and 9% in T. ilisha. Higher loss was observed in fish vendors, from 10% - 19%. Considering the retailers as the end-point stake in the fish distribution chain, study revealed the range of fish quality loss was 7-16% in four major consumed species in Bangladesh. The method was further validated in assessing the quality of 24 other major commercial fish species in different seasons and locations country-wide for two consecutive years and found identical results. The results suggest that the new method can be applied to any fish in quantifying the qualitative loss.SAARC J. Agri., 13(1): 75-89 (2015)
Highlights
The fisheries sector has acquired a unique status in Bangladesh economy contributing to the socio-cultural setting, rural employment and food and nutritional security
In order to determine a near to accurate value of sensory defect point (DP) corresponding to biochemical and microbiological quality breaking points, the following steps were followedi. values of some important biochemical and microbiological factors related with fish quality deterioration were determined, viz., non-protein nitrogen (NPN), total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN), peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance value (TBA), protein solubility (PS), aerobic plate count (APC) and pH; ii. a regression model was developed on the basis of model selection criteria, R2
When the value of protein solubility (% PS) increased, on an average, the sensory DPs decreased in each fish and the quality of the fish remained in acceptance level
Summary
The fisheries sector has acquired a unique status in Bangladesh economy contributing to the socio-cultural setting, rural employment and food and nutritional security. Freshwater aquaculture has been expanding very fast, contributing from less than 20% to nearly 50% to the total fish production over a decade (DoF, 2012). Present fish production of the country is 3.62 m MT (DoF, 2012). The country has set a target of producing 4.5 million tons of fish by the year 2019. In spite of all positive measures taken towards increment of production, post harvest loss of fish in the country is enormous. The huge loss in fisheries exerts immense pressure on food security of the country. Avenues exist to double the fish production, present post-harvest loss is presumed to be devastating, about 2030% in different fish and fishery products (Nowsad, 2007), 50 % reduction of such loss can save Tk.000000 crore per annum (Nowsad, 2010)
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