STUDY ABOUT A METHOD OF PROCESSING TO OBTAIN SMOKED SARDINE AND ITS ACCEPTABILITY

Abstract

A method to produce hot smoked sardine (Sardinela aurita) was developed by employing initial temperatures of 45-50°C and increasing progressively up to 80-90°C at the end of the process. The graph for the loss of moisture in the product, during smoking, was determined. The influence of the smoking time on the final desired appearance of the product was established by means of photographs taken at each one hour smoking interval, wich allowed to recomnend an ideal smoking period of 4 and half hours. It was found an overall mean yield of 46,8% for smoked sardine in relation to the whole fresh fish "in natura" utilized. A consumer acceptance test conducted in the final product to evaluate the attributes flavor, appearance, texture and overall preference, in a hedonic sca1e of 1 (liked very much) to 6 (desliked very much) , presented respectively the mean values of 1,6; 2,1; 1,7 and 1,8 that indicated, by all means, a good consumer acceptance for this product.