A new and easy-to-assemble fish drying technology pioneered by FAO is helping to reduce health hazards, improve food safety and quality, improve working conditions and cut down food losses in West African fishing villages.
Smoked fish is a vital source of food and
income for many African coastal communities. In Côte d'Ivoire, for example, an
estimated 20-30 percent of local marine and freshwater catch is consumed in
smoked form, according to FAO.
A popular protein alternative, smoked fish
is preferred by locals because of its taste, its nutritional benefits, its
competitive prices compared to other protein sources such as milk, meat and
eggs, and its long shelf-life which ranges from 3-6 months.
However, traditional kilns widely used to
prepare this popular food item do pose some concerns.
"Traditional smoking techniques often
involve a massive burning of wood which leads to a variety of problems. For
one, an exorbitant amount of CO2 is produced, so the kilns produce more
greenhouse gas pollution than they should. Also, traditional smoking releases
contaminants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are
carcinogenic and hazardous to the human respiratory system," says Yvette
Diei-Ouadi, a fishery industry expert at FAO.
Traditional techniques also leave higher
amounts of tar particles on the final product, affecting taste and quality -
making it much more difficult to sell.
The new FTT technology - consisting of a
dual functioning oven and mechanical drier, which also can act as storage unit
- is especially designed to help small-scale fish processors like those in
Abobodoumé prepare and market safe, high-quality food.
A result of five years of design
improvements, FTT makes it easy to upgrade traditional ovens and is capable of
significantly slashing the carcinogenic contaminants produced during smoking.
At the same time, the technology reduces the amount of fuel needed and provides
a load capacity five times greater than traditional barrel ovens or twice the
Chorkor kiln.
"This is a system developed to address
many aspects of fish smoking operations," says Ndiaye Oumoulkhaïry, who
worked on the FTT design.
"In the first place stands the safety
aspect - to secure consumers' health and meet international food standards.
Then there's reducing post-harvest losses, and also curbing the drudgery of
fish processors who are now least exposed to the heat and smoke."
In Abobodoumé, for example, a village in
Côte d'Ivoire, female fish processors took immediate liking to the new FTT
additions. Among their favorites, a collection plate which traps dripping fish
oils they can re-use for manufacturing soap or as cooking oil.
They are also glad to be breathing in far
less contaminant-containing smoke.
Different varieties of vegetable materials
can also be burned, instead of just wood or coal. Coconut shells and husks,
maize or even millet cob are just as effective in smoking fish and place far
less pressure on the environment.
"We are extremely happy, because as of
today, with the FTT, our conditions for smoking fish have changed," says
Deborah Oulou, an Ivorian woman fish processor.
''We are now working under hygienic
conditions," confirms Micheline Dion Somplehi, another woman fish
processor in Abobodoumé.
"The FTT-Thiaroye ensures less heat,
burn and smoke exposure. Smoking operations do not pose risk anymore to the
health of our eyes and of our respiratory system''.
Shorter processing times and reduced risk
of burns or smoke-inhalation also mean these women can focus more time on their
roles as mothers and caretakers.
Dion Somplehi says: "We have seen the
advantage of saving time in fish smoking, and this is really important because
in our communities, women are at the same time engaged in household chores -
taking care of the children, working in the kitchen - while carrying out fish
processing activities. We are even able to smoke in bad weather
conditions."
The new technology is proving popular in
other African fishing nations as well, and its use is starting to spread in
Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania and Ghana.
Development organizations like the
Netherlands-based SNV is encouraging the use of FTT technology in Ghana as a
way for small-scale producers to gain access to such lucrative international
markets.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
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