Chemical, Microbiological, and Sensory Properties of Fermented Fish Products from Sardinellasp. in Nigeria

Abstract

Sardinella sp. was subject to “chance inoculation” (natural) fermentation with or without treatment with spices at room temperature and was analyzed for chemical composition, microbiological and sensory properties. Results showed slight decrease in moisture content from 73 to 70% for unfermented and fermented products, slight increase in crude protein from 16 to 18%, in fat from 7 to 8% and in ash from 2-3% for the unfermented and fermented products, respectively. Fermentation caused a slight decrease in trimethylamine (TMA) from 20 to 18 kg/100 g in unfermented and fermented products while there was an inconsistent increase in peroxide value from 6 mEq/kg for the fermented products to 8 mEq/kg for the unfermented product. There was a consistent decrease in pH from 6.5 to 4.3 and a corresponding increase in titratable acidity from 0.69 to 1.84 NaOH/100 kg during fermentation of the products. Fermentation caused a slight decrease in total viable count of microorganisms, which ranged from 250 to 380 cfu/g for fermented and unfermented products. Sensory evaluation showed that fish fermented with 10% salt concentration had significantly (P < 0.5) higher score in taste and overall acceptability than that with 15% concentration.