Microbiological and Proximate Assessments of Cold-smoked Gadus morhua in Traditional Fish Smoking Centers in Ota Metropolis.

This study evaluated the microbiological and proximate assessments of cold- smoked Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua. Fresh fish samples were purchased from cold room depots and were taken to five traditional fish smoking centers in Ota metropolis for cold smoking. The Atlantic cod were cold-smoked for a period of 1 hour and taken to the laboratory in baskets and stored on the shelf at room temperature (± 270C) for 4 weeks. Thereafter, the smoked fish samples were analyzed for Total plate count, Staphylococcus count, Coliform count, mold count, moisture content, crude protein, ash content, lipid content and salt content.
The microbiological analyses were carried out every three days while proximate analyses were weekly. From the analyses, microbiological parameters, moisture and ash contents of the smoked fish on storage increased while the percentage protein, lipid and salt contents of the fish sample decreased; from the second sampling day. TPC increased from 4.17 log10 cfu/g to 5.78 log10 cfu/g, Coliform from 5.03log10 cfu/g to 6.46 log10 cfu/g and Moisture contents was between 11.15% and 25.80. The lipid content ranged between 12.56% and 15.64% while the protein contents ranged between 9.48% and 41.54%.