Abstract
Lately, Muslim consumers in Malaysia, are avoiding catfish (Clarias gariepinus) owing to the uncertainty of its halal status. This is due to the use of unclean/impure substances (najasa in Islamic law) as feed from animal carcasses or feed incorporated with animal waste (fat, blood or bone). Under the islamic law, animals which consume large quantities of najasa and led to noticeable changes of its odour, colour and taste of the meat are haram (forbidden) or makruh (undesirable). To our knowledge there is no investigation on whether the feed could alter the odour, taste or colour of the catfish from this perspective. Thus a study was undertaken to evaluate if feeding diets comprising of najasa will affect the nutritional composition and sensory characteristics of catfish.The fish were fed with imported pellets (consisting of 10-15% blood meal with porcine DNA detected), local pellets and 100% chicken offal for 12 weeks. The results showed treatment with imported pellets do not have a significant (p>0.05) effect on the nutritional composition (proximate composition, amino acids and fatty acids profiles), colour, odour and flavour of catfish fillet, but significantly (p<0.05) change the odour and flavour.
Highlights
African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), which in Malaysia locally known as ikan keli is one of the most popular fish species cultured, with approximately 36,534 metric tonnes produced in 2016.1 It is among the cheapest fish, fetching a retail price of as low as USD 2.00/kg
Mortality during feeding trial was fairly low (
The final mean lengths of catfish fed with imported feed, locally produced feed and chicken offal were 30.3 ± 1.1, 30.6 ± 1.2 and 31.2 ± 1.1 cm, respectively with no significantly different (p > 0.05) found among treatments
Summary
African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), which in Malaysia locally known as ikan keli is one of the most popular fish species cultured, with approximately 36,534 metric tonnes produced in 2016.1 It is among the cheapest fish, fetching a retail price of as low as USD 2.00/kg (about RM 8/kg). Catfish used to have high demand in Malaysia, lately, the Muslim consumers, are avoiding catfish due to its doubtful halal status This is due to the professed feeding of catfish with carcases or wastes from pig or commercial feeds mixed with pig by-products (meat, fat, blood, or bone). The practice of feeding catfish with intestine of pig had been reported in Thailand[2] and Taiwan[3] while the use of re-cycled dead chicken had been described in Africa.[4] In addition, fish feed industries are using alternative protein including animal by-products (meat and bone meal, blood meal) and alternative fats such as lard in fish feed to overcome the insufficient quantity of fishmeal at economical prices.[5] The results from the DOF, Malaysia monitoring program of fish feed have showed positive presence of porcine DNA in some of the imported and locally produced fish feed.[1]
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