Browsing by Author "Cindy Liz Keturah Muyama"

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    Enhancing the Quality and Shelf Life of Smoked Tilapia Using Locally Available Spices
    (Uganda Christian University, 2025-05-28) Cindy Liz Keturah Muyama
    Small-scale tilapia farmers in Uganda face major post-harvest losses because microbial contamination leads to spoilage rates of 20–30%. The traditional preservation method of smoking works well but does not stop all spoilage from occurring. Artificial preservatives work well but remain unreachable because of their high cost. The sustainable preservation alternative comes from widely used natural spices which include garlic, thyme, ginger and rosemary because they are reported to possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The research examined how garlic-thyme and ginger-rosemary spice blends affected the microbial stability and storage duration of smoked tilapia. The research implemented a randomized controlled trial which included 45 fish samples organized into three separate groups. The samples underwent monitoring throughout a twelveday storage period which simulated the local environment (cool and dry). The microbial load assessments involved counting colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) while an untrained panel assessed the sensory attributes of appearance, odour, texture and overall acceptability. The results indicated that spice combinations reduced microbial growth better than the control group (without any treatment) and garlic-thyme proved most effective in antimicrobial activity (lowest mean CFU/g). The sensory evaluation showed treated samples preserved their organoleptic characteristics well during storage while Garlic and Thyme samples received higher flavour acceptance ratings. Locally available spices present a cost-effective preservation solution for smoked tilapia which both extends product shelf life and improves market value. The research results contribute to the development of sustainable food preservation techniques, and deliver usable solutions to enhance food security for Ugandan small-scale fish farmers.