SNAIL CONSUMPTION AND SNAIL SHELL UTILIZATION: PERCEPTION OF UISHOPWEL AND MEAT SHOP CUSTOMERS

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The increasing demand for snails, driven by their high protein content and medical value, has led to heightened interest in both domestic and foreign markets. However, the shells of these snails often face neglect during processing, posing environmental challenges. To address this, a study was conducted at the University of Ibadan, UishopweL, and meat shops in Ibadan metropolis. Seventy-four structured questionnaires were administered to gather insights into factors influencing snail consumption, methods of processing snail shells, and their potential uses. The findings highlighted that 45.9% of respondents attributed snail consumption to allowances, while 12.2% considered family background, 32.4% mentioned environment, 13.5% focused on taste, 6.8% took health conditions into account, 8.1% noted a nonchalant attitude, 12.2% considered age, and 47.3% emphasized the availability of snail meat. Additionally, 86.5% recognized the snail shell as an excellent calcium source, with 81.1% acknowledging its use as a ceramic filter, 63.5% in paint, 74.3% in animal feeds, 66.2% in construction, 39.2% in paper industries, 74.3% for enhancing product hardness, and 78.4% for strengthening materials. Regarding snail shell processing, 10.9% burned shells for calcium extraction, 2.7% ground and crushed them, 78.4% discarded them, and 8.1% did not specify. The study concluded that respondents were generally aware of the various uses of snail shells, particularly their role as a natural source of calcium and their potential in animal feeds.