A Review on the Application of Improved Fish Handling and Smoking: Safe Quality and Potential Business Venture for Developing Countries

Fish products play an important role in improving human nutrition and economic growth. 5 However, many communities and poor rural households relying on fish to meet their end needs are still constrained by post-harvest losses of fish and fish products in the value chain due to spoilage, expensive processing technologies and inability to start a fish business venture. To address such concerns or losses, this study provided a comprehensive review on acceptable practices to address potential hitches threatening safety of fish and fish products, specific factors influencing the smoking process and the reward for adopting improved techniques as well as eight stimuli for safe food processing and production in developing countries. It was emphasized  hat good hygiene, improved handling and smoking are critical drivers that reward improved quality of ish products and better earnings to the local communities. Selection of fuel and smoking kiln, 4 addition of salt and other factors affecting the smoking process also play an important role in 15 extending the shelf life of the products and lure consumersƒ?? preferences. Additionally, eight stimuli 16 have been identified as incentives to boost safe fish processing and production. The stimuli and 17 other recommended approaches reviewed in this study target a lucrative endeavor to improve 18 livelihood and earnings for the local people and attract international consumers to boost national 19 economy as well. The outcome can lead to diversification of income generating opportunities, 20 rather than relying on non-food producing sectors, that may surmount food insecurity and poverty 21 in rural or remote areas in developing countries. Further studies should be conducted on the 22 economic performance, consumption pattern as well as quantitative & qualitative assessment of the nutritional contents and microbial profile of fresh and smoked fish products in South Sudan  and other developing countries to unmask the improved aspect discussed.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Not applicable

The datasets used in this study are openly available at [repository link] and the source code is available on GitHub at [GitHub link].

This work did not receive any external funding.