Effect of Packaging on the Stability of Stored Dry Silver Cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea)

Dried silver cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea) has the potential to provide an affordable and accessible food-based strategy to fight malnutrition among Ugandans and enrich diets of the vulnerable persons. However, there is inadequate information on changes in the nutritional content and safety of stored dry silver cyprinid along the local handling chain. This study evaluated the effect of conventionally used packaging on microbial safety and nutrient quality of dry silver cyprinid during storage. Freshly dried silver cyprinid was obtained from stores at four landing sites on Lake Victoria and stored in open and closed gunny bags for 8 weeks. Samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of storage and assessed for nutritional and microbial quality. The type of packaging used (open or closed gunny bags) had no significant effect on most nutrient content and microbial safety parameters (p >0.05) except iron content, aflatoxin content, and TVBN content. Open gunny bags had higher aflatoxin content, greater iron degradation and greater variation in TVBN as compared to closed gunny bags throughout the storage duration. The observed difference in some of the quality parameters can be attributed to increased permeability to oxygen and moisture in open gunny bags as compared to closed gunny bags.