Processing, Safety and Sensory Quality of Lanhouin of Benin

Lanhouin, a salted, fermented and dried fish product obtained by spontaneous fermentation is often used to season several local dishes in West Africa. However the production technique is still badly controlled. This study carried out within the European Union's seventh framework programme of the research, project AFTER (African Food Tradition rEvisited by Research), aimed to study the processing, safety and sensory quality of traditional Lanhouin of Benin while proposing solutions to as well improve technology of production as sanitary quality without affecting its typicity. Endogenous knowledge relating to the production, commercialization and consumption of Lanhouin were studied through an investigation carried out on the basis of questionnaire in the department of Mono/Couffo. The samples of Lanhouin collected in the sites of production and the local markets were evaluated though microbiological and physico-chemical variables. The technological follow-up of the processes of Lanhouin production was carried out and the collected samples were subjected to tests of sensory profile and consumption, after microbiological and physicochemical characterization.