Hilsa shad ( Tenualosa ilisha ) is popular for distinct palatability, although oxidative spoilage limits shelf life. Traditionally, dry salting is practiced to process and improve sensory attributes, yet variations occurred due to inconsistent processing practices. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal chunk thickness for dry‐salted hilsa by evaluating its effects on proximate composition, salt uptake, microbial stability, and consumer acceptance. Collected fish samples were dressed into three different chunk thicknesses (1.0 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2.0 cm) and assessed through proximate composition, salt uptake, microbial counts, and sensory evaluation at different stages. Results revealed that chunk thickness strongly influenced salt penetration, moisture reduction, and storage stability. Products with thinner chunks ripen earlier (8–9 days), had less moisture (29%–35%), and higher NaCl contents (15%–18%), compared to 2.0 cm chunks. Bacterial loads reduced during maturation but increased slightly during storage, with thinner chunks keeping relatively safer bacterial loads, while thicker chunks exhibited higher fungal contamination. Sensory assessment established that 1.0–1.5 cm products had superior flavor, texture, and appearance, aligned with stronger consumer hedonic scores/acceptance. Overall, this investigation emphasizes chunk thickness as a critical processing consideration, suggesting that keeping chunks of 1.0–1.5 cm is crucial in ensuring biochemical consistency, microbial safety, and consumer preference of salted hilsa.
Haider et al. (Thu,) studied this question.