Processing methods, preservation practices and quality attributes of smoked and smoked-dried fishes consumed in Benin

Figures & data

Figure 1. Benin map showing the surveyed areas.

Table 1. Socio-cultural profile of actors (%)

Characteristics	Processors (n = 124)	Traders (n = 305)
Age (years)
<20	0.8	3.0
20–30	17.7	21.0
31–40	38.7	37.0
41–50	25.8	22.3
51–60	9.7	9.2
> 60	7.3	3.6
Gender
Female	100	100
Male	0	0
Socio-cultural groups
Fon	19.4	11.8
Goun	16.1	16.7
Mina	15.3	8.2
Adja	12.1	23.0
Pédah	11.3	21.3
Aïzo	11.3	2.3
Xlwa	9.7	7.5
Tori	1.6	3.3
Toffin	1.6	2.0
Nago	0.8	0.3
Sètô	0.8	1.0
Yoruba	0	1.0
Watchi	0	0.7
Wouémè	0	1.0
Mahi	0	0.3
Educational level
Primary school	8.9	16.1
Secondary school	6.5	11.1
University	0	0
Illiterate (no formal education)	82.3	70.5
Local languages education	2.4	2.3
Marital status
Unmarried	0.8	4.6
Married	99.2	93.1
Religion
Animism	14.4	21.5
Christianism	83.2	78.1
Islam	2.4	0.4
Years of experience
<10	31.5	-
10–25	50	-
>25	18.5	-
Access mode to smoking knowledge
From their parents	82.2	-
Learning with a processor	13.7	-
Self-taught person	4	-
Reasons justifying actor activity
Inherit from parents	54.5	-
Source of income	45.5	-

Figure 2. Flow diagram of production of smoked and smoked-dried fishes.

Figure 3. Factorial correspondence analysis to reveal links between fish species, processing technology and their distribution according to surveyed areas. SZ = Surveyed zone; SmokedFish = smoked fish technology; SmokedDriedFish = smoked-dried fish technology.

Table 2. Tree species used by SF and SDF processors

Common name of tree species	Scientific name	Processors (%)
Pencil tree	Acacia auriculiformis	64.5
Teak tree	Tectona grandis	45.2
Coconut raid	Coconut nucifera	35.5
Mango tree	Mangifera indica	29.0
Palm tree	Elaeis guineensis	13.7
Australian pine tree	Casuarina equisetifolia	12.1
Neem tree	Azadirachta indica	9.7
Wrong kola tree	Garcinia kola	5.6
River redgum tree	Eucalyptus camaldulensis	2.4
Cashew tree	Anacardium occidentalis	2.4
Guava tree	Psidium guajava	1.6
Red mangrove tree	Rhizophora racemosa	1.6
African oak tree	Milicia excelsa	0.8
Birch-tree	Anogeissus leiocarpa	0.8

Figure 4. Factorial correspondence analysis to reveal links between types of kilns and fuels used, and socio-cultural groups of processors. BarSmokingKiln = Barrel smoking kiln; TraSmokingKiln = Traditional smoking kiln; TectonaG = Tectona grandis, ManguiferaI = Manguifera indica, AcaciaA = Acacia auriculiformis; GounPlus = Goun and similar; MinaPlus = Mina and similar; XwlaPlus = Xwla and similar; FonPlus = Fon and similar.