EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MOLASSES AND SALT ON ACID PRODUCTION AND VOLUME OF FERMENTING MASS DURING ENSILING OF TROPICAL FRESH-WATER FISH VISCERA

Viscera from freshwater fish, constituting 5-11% of body weight, consi sts of (%) water 67, proteins 10, ether extracts 14, and minerals 3. P rocess of ensiling fish viscera after mixing individually with differe nt levels of molasses (7.5, 10.0 and 12.5%, w/w) with (2 and 4%, w/w) or without salt was studied under microaerophilic condition at ambient (26+/-2 degrees C) temperature. Data revealed that the optimum level of molasses was 10% of fish viscera, acid production being inadequate with 7.5% molasses, while it did not improve, but resulted in lower ri se in fermenting mass with the use of 12.5% molasses. Salt lowered the swelling of fermenting mass, the efficiency being higher with the use of 4% salt, in addition to significantly (p less than or equal to 0.0 01) reducing the rate of acid production during the first two days of fermentation. Subsequently, pHs of salted samples were markedly (p les s than or equal to 0.001) lower than those of non-salted samples.