Assessing Nutrient Retention, Cost-Effectiveness and Fuel Efficiency of Charcoal Briquettes for Fish Smoking in Nigeria

This study aimed to determine the nutritional composition of Synodontis membranaceus, Clarias gariepinus and Labeo senegalensis smoked with firewood (FW), wood charcoal (WC) and charcoal briquettes (CBs) and also to investigate the efficiency, drying capacity and cost-effectiveness of the fuels. A sensory assessment of the smoked fish was conducted. Proximate analysis of the smoked fish was conducted for moisture, ash, crude lipids and crude proteins. Proximate values for smoked C. gariepinus were significantly different (p < 0.05) across the three fuels. Only moisture and crude protein were significantly different in smoked L. senegalensis, while in S. membranaceus, all proximate values were significantly different except ash (p > 0.05). Protein retention was higher in WC-smoked fish. CBs dried the fish moisture (84.85%) to the level required to halt deterioration within a reasonable time (15.6 h) and was cheaper (NGN 795) than FW and WC. CBs also had higher fuel efficiency (0.76) compared to FW and WC. The organoleptic properties of the fish smoked were generally acceptable.