An Improved Method of Good Quality Shidol Production in the Northern Part of Bangladesh: from Biochemical and Microbiological Aspects

The present study aimed to develop a suitable method for the production of good quality shidol at the Floodplain Substation, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), Santahar, Bogura, Bangladesh. For this purpose, an improved quality shidol was prepared following scientific methods by BFRI, while  and traditional shidol was collected from Rangpur, Kurigram, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Bogura, Nilphamary, Syedpur region. In the present study, proximate composition, biochemical and microbiological analysis of the BFRI made shidol and the traditional shidol were carried out during the 90 days of storage period after vacuum packaging. In proximate composition analysis, higher level of protein and fat content were found in BFRI made shidol than the traditional shidol. However, the traditional shidol samples showed poor quality due to the high total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), peroxide values, and moisture along with a promising microbial load; in contrast, the results obtained in the BFRI shidol samples were within the acceptable limit for human consumption. The presence of coliform bacteria in the traditional shidol also reflected the improper handling, unawareness of good hygiene and sanitation during production. The results of this study indicate that vacuum packaging can be an effective method in maintaining the quality of shidol by preventing cross-contamination and delaying the degradation of nutrients. Additionally, an improved BFRI technology for shidol production can minimize the biochemical and microbiological quality loss of shidol.