Abstract

Three methods of drying (oven, sun and smoke) were used to dry Bonga spp.,Sardinella spp. and Heterotis niloticus. The physico-chemical and minerals contents of the sample were determined using standard methods. Oven dried H. niloticus recorded the highest (16.42%) moisture content while the least moisture content 9.27% were obtained in oven-dried and sun-dried Sardinella sp. Highest protein content (51.06%) was found in sundried Sardinella sp., while the highest  and the least fat value of 60.36% and 12.13% were recorded for smoke-dried and sun-dried H. niloticus, , respectively. Banga sp. have the highest ash content of all the fish evaluated for proximate composition. The highest value of the major elements were obtained in this decreasing order K > Na > Mg > Ca in Sardinella sp. (oven-dried) H. niloticus (sun-dried) H. niloticus (smoke-dried) and Sardinella sp. (oven-dried). The highest value of major element K (250 mg), Na (218 mg), Mg (183 mg) and Ca (150 mg) were obtained in  Sardinella sp. (oven-dried),  H. niloticus(sun-dried), H. niloticus (smoke-dried) and Sardinella sp. (oven-dried), respectively.  Zinc had the highest value of all the trace elements determined while Copper had the least value. Smoke-dried and oven-dried sample were found most palatable by the panellists, while the ones with most attractive colour were smoke-dried samples.

Key words: Fish, chemical, minerals, sensory, drying.