Functional and Pasting Properties of Gari Produced from White-fleshed Cassava Roots as Affected by Packaging Materials and Storage Periods, and Sensory Attributes of the Cooked Gari Dough (eba)

Abstract

Gari  (roasted fermented cassava grits) is the most popular product consumed in West Africa and an important food product in the diet of millions of people in developing countries. The study investigated the effect of packaging materials (PM) and storage periods on the functional and pasting properties of  Gari  produced from white-fleshed cassava roots and sensory attributes of the cooked  Gari  dough ( eba ).  Gari  was produced using the standard method and packaged in a polypropylene woven sack (PP) and polyvinyl chloride container (PVC).  Gari  was stored for 24 weeks at room temperature and sampled at four-week intervals for functional and pasting properties, and sensory evaluation of the  eba , using standard methods. The results showed that the storage periods significantly affected all the functional (except swelling power) and pasting properties of the  Gari , and PM had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the functional (except bulk density) and pasting properties. Also, the PM had no significant effect on the sensory attributes of the  eba  except for the mouldability (p<0.05). The setback viscosity of the  Gari  packaged in PVC had a significant (p<0.05, r= -0.58) negative correlation with the texture of the  eba . The panellists preferred all the sensory attributes of the  eba  made from the  Gari  stored in PP compared to that made from  Gari  stored in PVC. Therefore, packaging  Gari  in PP may keep most of the properties preferred by consumers when stored for up to 5 months.