Evaluation of fish handling techniques employed by artisanal fishers on quality of Lethrinids and Siganids fish genera at landing time along the Kenyan coast using sensory and microbiological methods

In artisanal fishery, traditional handling methods such as tossing fish onto the boat bottom or into woven mat baskets and gunny bags after capture are commonly employed. These practices accelerate fish spoilage due to cross contamination and exposure to high ambient temperature. This study aimed at investigating the effect of non-icing (onboard handling methods) on the quality of Lethrinids (Emperor fish, local name: Changu) and Siganids (Rabbitfish, local name: Tafi) landed along the Kenyan coast in comparison to iced fish. Monthly, samples were assessed by sensory methods using Quality Index Method (QIM), Total Viable Counts (TVC) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) producing bacteria considered as specific spoilage organisms (SSO) counts for raw fish; Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) and Torry score for cooked fillets. Iced fish was characterised by better freshness quality attributes at landing time compared to non-iced at both landing sites. According to the QIM, iced treatment recorded better quality scores that were significantly different from non-iced groups (p