Effect of drying on physicochemical and textural characteristics of murrel fish (Channa marulius) powder and formulation of value-added soup premix

An investigation was conducted to study the drying characteristics of murrel fish (Channa marulius) for powder production, enhancing shelf life and ease of handling. The dried fish powder was then used to prepare a nutrient-rich value-added fish soup premix. Freshwater murrel fish were cleaned, sliced into darne shapes, salted with NaCl for 2 hrs, and dried in a cabinet dryer at 60°C for 14 hrs under optimized conditions. The study evaluated the effects of drying on the fish’s physicochemical and textural properties. Protein content increased from 20.71 g/100 g in raw whole fish and 22.76 g/100 g in fish without head to 42 g/100 g in dried fish powder. Fat content rose from 0.87 and 1.57 g/100 g to 2.96 g/100 g after drying. Ash content showed a substantial increase from 4.52 and 1.90 g/100 g to 40.86 g/100 g. Total energy went up from 114.97 and 108.03 to 194.54 Kcal/100 g. Calcium content was 82.34, 14.08, and 47.15 mg/100 g, respectively. Moisture content decreased drastically from 72.49% and 68.18% to 12.2%. Carbohydrates ranged from 3.87 and 4.62 to 2.21 g/100 g. Drying resulted in a 74% moisture loss over 14 hrs with moisture ratio reducing from 1 to 0.7. Textural analysis revealed increased hardness and chewiness in dried fish compared to raw. This study successfully optimized conditions to produce high-quality dried fish powder and soup premix, offering a nutritious, shelf-stable product.