Smoked Catfish Export

ATIRE JOHNDEC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED is a company registered by the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Corporate Affairs Commission (RC- 1602730). The company is a licensed exporter under the Nigerian Export Promotion Council with registration no 0008656 and is also a member of the Successedge Exporters Network.  The company is situated at 26, Apata Street, Iyesi Okoafor, Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria.

We deal in products like Smoked Catfish and Other Related Agricultural Commodities.

Smoked Cat Fish

According to a study sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the quantity of dried and smoked catfish, tilapia and other types of fish exported from West Africa to the United Kingdom was estimated at over 500 tonnes per year; with a retail value of nearly $20 million.

Nigeria alone exports about 5 tonnes of smoked fish per month (via airfreight). Other major exporting countries are Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Cameroon.

Smoke Catfish is a great food delicacies loved by many due to it rich protein content, most house wives and restaurants in various part of the world uses it to enrich and enhance the taste of soups and food.

Health Benefits of Catfish

There are several health benefits to catfish.  It is low in healthy fats, a great source of anti-inflammatory omega 3s, and a great source of protein.  Catfish also packs a punch for essential nutrients our bodies need to function.  The extremely high levels of vitamin B-12 in catfish supports normal red blood cell formation and neurological health as well as a myriad of other health benefits.  A 3 oz serving provides just over 100%  of the dietary reference intake(DRI) of B-12. The same 3 oz service also provides 16% DRI of thiamine and 13% DRI niacin, which aid in energy production, neurological functions and skin and nerve growth.  As for minerals, 3 ounces provides 21% of the DRI for magnesium and 8% of the DRI for potassium as well as trace amounts of zinc and iron.  All of these minerals are perform vital bodily functions geared toward keeping your bones, muscles, heart and brain working properly.

Smoking and Drying

There are 2 major ways by which catfish can be dried. They are:

1.      The traditional open fire with either firewood or charcoal as the fuel

2.      Kiln (oven) with electricity, gas, wood or charcoal as the source of heat.

One advantage of the open fire over the gas oven is that the set up cost is lower. However, the advantages of the kiln over the open fire are numerous and include temperature regulation, even distribution of heat, less contamination of the fish with the cancer causing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), versatility of fuels for combustion to mention but a few.

Traditional Open Fire Method

I believe it is was from this method that the term “smoked catfish” was coined. This is because, with this method, the heat required is quite low (as opposed to regular cooking heat) and most times there’s a lot of smoke during the process. This is the most common method of drying fish in Nigeria and it involves the drying of the fresh fish on a smoking grate (smoking rack) with a bit of heat underneath from the burning of wood or charcoal. The rack might be placed on an open metal barrel or a mud structure. Ensure that the rack is slightly oiled before putting the fish on it and do not stack the fish on each other as this would make sum dry before others. Start a fire beneath the smoking rack and ensure that the heat is low especially for the first two hours . After the first two hours, you can increase the heat slightly. The drying time depends on the thickness of the fish, nature of the fuel, customer demand and weather. Avoid using wood or saw dust as these generate a lot of smoke while drying. The generated smoke if too much can cause the fish to be bitter and increase the concentration of the cancer causing PAHs. Charcoal is the preferred option.

This method requires the regular flipping of the fish from one side to another in order to ensure that all parts of the fish are properly dried.

Kiln (Oven) Method

 This is the future of fish smoking because it’s faster, healthier, neater, more environmentally friendly and has more capacity than smoking over an open fire. However, it is more expensive to set up. Generally, most kilns use gas with the option of electricity, charcoal or wood. Some extra features such as a thermometer (to monitor the temperature), blower (for proper heat distribution), and insulation (to prevent heat loss) can be added at your behest, and that would cost you extra. These extras will reduce your drying time, ensure even output as well as reduce the effort required to dry the fish. My kiln has all the above features so once i put everything in motion, i can spend up to three hours without checking on the fish in the kiln.

Smoked Catfish is a highly valuable and exportable commodity, and we have the capacity to export it in small and large quantity to any country in the world.

We are ready to take request and can be contacted via our email on: atirejohndec06@gmail.com or via telephone: +2347063000769