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Abstract
When compared to other sources of animal protein, fish is relatively more affordable and accessible, even in poorer communities. The proximate, micronutrients and heavy metals composition of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) obtained in its fresh form from the bank of Niger River basin in Onitsha and processed with oven and smoke-drying technique under strict supervision was studied. The control sample was a representative sample of already smoke-dried catfish imported to Onitsha from other localities. It was obtained and merged as one from 10 separate retail locations within an open market in Onitsha. The results of the findings showed that drying generally leads to moisture loss in the fresh fish sample and increases nutrient concentrations in the dried fish sample. The moisture ranged from 6.71% - 68.30%. Drying was enhanced with the oven technique thereby improving the protein from 14% -60%, ash from 3.89% - 8.53%, mineral elements, and vitamin A composition. The results further revealed that the catfish sample sourced from the bank of Niger River basin in Onitsha provided the best nutrient quality when compared to the control sample, thereby showing contributing tendency to nutrition and food security in Anambra State. The heavy metals investigated are Lead (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr) and Cadmium (Cd). The results showed no presence of lead in fresh, processed (both oven and smoke-dried fish samples) and control fish samples, however, traces of Zn, Cr, and Cd were recorded in all the samples. The value of Zn ranged from 2.20 to 2.33mg/kg and these showed no significant difference among the samples. Cr and Cd were significantly higher (p<0.05) in processed smokedried fish samples when compared to other samples. On a general note, the level of heavy metals obtained from the results in all the samples posed no health threat from consumption of the fish samples as the values are below the recommended permissible limit for heavy metals in food system. Keywords: catfish, smoke-dried, oven-dried, proximate, micronutrient, heavy metals