EFFECTS OF SELECTED DRYING METHODS ON THE QUALITY PROPERTIES OF SNAIL MEAT

The effects of selected drying methods on the quality properties of snail were studied. The snail samples were subjected to different drying treatments (air-drying, oven drying and smoking) and coded as: sample A (Air-dried snail), sample B (Oven dried snail) and sample C (Smoked snail). The dried snail samples were evaluated for proximate, minerals and microbiological properties using standard analytical methods. Sensory properties of the snail samples were evaluated using standard 9-point hedonic scale with 9 representing like extremely and 1 representing dislike extremely. The proximate composition result showed that moisture varied from 11.48 to 17.92%, ash from 2.96 to 3.75%, crude fibre from 0.61 to 1.03%, lipid from 2.20 to 3.81%, protein from 69.74 to 70.41%, carbohydrate from 6.73 to 11.48% and dry matter from 82.43 to 88.54%. The mineral composition result showed that calcium varied from 0.12 to 0.21 ppm, iron from 0.11 to 0.38 ppm, sodium from 0.86 to 1.17 ppm, magnesium from 1.46 to 1.84 ppm and potassium from 0.73 to 1.28 ppm. The microbial properties result showed that total bacterial count and total fungal count varied from 280 – 600 x 101 cfu/g and 260 – 548 x 101 cfu/g respectively. The sensory properties result showed that sample C was the most preferred of all the snail samples. Sample B had the least moisture content (11.48%) but offered the highest ash (3.75%), carbohydrate (11.48%) and iron (0.38 ppm); air-dried snail (sample A) offered the best crude fibre (1.03%), protein (69.74 to 70.41%), magnesium (1.46 to 1.84 ppm) and potassium (0.73 to 1.28 ppm) while smoked snail (sample C) had the best lipid (2.20 to 3.81%), calcium (0.12 to 0.21 ppm) and sodium (1.17 ppm) contents. The study concluded that nutritionally, air dried snail (sample A) had the best nutritional qualities, followed by sample C (smoked snail) and sample B (oven dried snail) respectively.