AN INVESTIGATION OF FUNGI RELATED WITH SPOILAGE OF SMOKED DRIED FISH

Background Of The Study: Fish is an excellent source of protein and has a high nutrient density. If it is treated improperly, however, it might serve as a good substrate for the development of microbes (Abulu, 2022). The degradation of fish products may be attributed to the proliferation of microbes as well as to other processes that do not involve bacteria, such as lipid oxidation (Martin, 2010). An rise in the temperature of the surrounding environment creates ideal circumstances for the proliferation of bacteria, which in turn lowers the quality of the fish and its potential keeping period, resulting in the waste of food (Adebayo., 2020).

In general, the process of preserving food and other perishable products like fish and meat involves procedures that inhibit the growth of microorganisms. These procedures can involve the addition of growth-inhibiting ingredients or the modification of storage conditions by freezing or drying the food (Adebayo ., 2022). The techniques of processing fish have a variety of effects on the microorganisms present in the fish, which leads to the development of distinct forms of microflora as well as unique exposures to spoilage organisms and diseases.

The technique of preservation employed on dried fish prevents the microflora from developing, which results in the product having a longer shelf life in its preserved form. However, the microbial load of fish is rarely indicative of the quality of the fish; rather, it provides an indication of the risk of spoilage induced by the fish. This is due to the fact that each of the organisms has a unique way of affecting the health conditions of consumers who consume such contaminated fish (Adeleye .,2021). As a direct consequence of this, there is a need to examine the microorganisms, such as fungus, that are connected with the deterioration of fish. This necessitated this study into investigating fungi associated with smoked dried fish vended in Eke –Awka Market in Anambra state.