The Production of A Low dietary Bulk Density Cassava-Based Weaning Food using fermentation

Abstract

Fermentation is an ancient food-processing technique, employed in the preparation of cassava flours for home consumption. This study compares two fermentation procedures practiced at the village level in Nigeria. In the first procedure, sliced cassava chips are soaked in water for 3 days; in the second . procedure, the sliced cassava chips are heaped together and covered with straw for 3 days (air-fermentation). Cassava flours processed by these two methods were used to make two types of cassava flour porridges, and one type of cassava flour porridge prepared…from unfermented cassava. Viscosity measurements were carried out on these porridge. Fermentation by soaking had no marked effect in reducing viscosity and it also produces a whiter flour than flour produced by air fermentation. Viscosity curves, obtained after plotting viscosity against percentage concentration, showed that viscosity is reduced in fermented cassava flours, especially those that are air-fermented, and is reduced still further in cassava flours mixed with legumes. The use of legumes also creates higher nutrient densities in the porridges, but reduced the viscosity of the gruels

Keywords: cassava, fermentation, weaning foods.

Agrosearch Vol. 7 (1&2) 2005: pp. 5-11