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A new method of drying fresh fish has been developed with the help of the new cabinet solar dryer created by Macondray Plastics, Inc. (Macplas), a local firm in Davao City who has been supplying the plastic bag requirements of banana plantations in Davao since the 1990s.

The cabinet solar dryer known as Helichaus was developed by Macplas with the assistance of the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD). Selected housewives in Barangay Masili, Calamba City, Laguna.

The Helichaus was  field-tested in fish drying and its quality of dried products using cabinet solar drying and sun drying, determined  the moisture content if the dried products were subjected to two drying methods. Likewise, sensory evaluation of the dried products was also conducted, as well determination of the production cost.

The results of the research was reported by Vicente de Jesus of Macplas at the “First National Summit on Mechanization in Aquaculture” which was held recently at the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – National Fisheries Research and Development Institute – Asia Fisheries Academy in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

In the test conducted, siganid (rabbit fish or danggit), shrimps, tilapia and ayungin were subjected to sun drying and cabinet solar-drying methods. De Jesus noted  “it was observed that the heat from the sun was trapped inside the cabinet solar dryer, thereby increasing its temperature which facilitated the drying process of the fish samples.”

In both drying methods, the temperature readings increased as the weather changed and drying time progressed. However, the Macplas dryer had higher temperature readings than the sun drying method at the same weather condition.

Employing the assistance of the trained students at the Laguna State Polytechnic University in Los Baños, sensory evaluation was done, while at the DOST-Los Baños, chemical analysis was done on the dried products. Results showed that the cabinet solar-dried fish samples had better quality attributes and moisture contents than the sun dried and commercially dried fish species.

The Helichaus also prolongs the keeping storage, safety of the dried fish samples and it reduces the drying period from two to three days to one or one and a half days, depending on the sun’s heat.