Effect of different processing conditions on quality of cassava

Abstract

Sweeteners play a vital role in the food industry serving either as preservative or as addition to consumables. The high intake of sweetener brought about production of artificially synthesized sweetener which has, in turn, given a reason of concern for health on a long term. Cassava is one of the mostly cultivated crops in Nigeria with cassava possessing the highest level of starch compared to other crops. This research explores the abundance of cassava, converting its starch into sweetener (glucose). An extraction test rig was developed as part of the study to extract sweetener from cassava. A 2x3x3 factorial experiment was used to carry out the experiment and the factors considered were cassava varieties (Manihot dulcis and Manihot palmatal), delay period (15, 30 and 45 minutes) and quantity of starch (1, 2 and 4 kg). The SPSS 20.0 was used to carry out the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for the measured parameters. The sugar concentration analysis carried out on the cassava sweetener (Manihot dulcis) and (Manihot palmatal), gave values 13.02 and 17.57 mg/mL, respectively which were in line with the established cassava sweetener with value of 12.43 mg/mL. The ANOVA showed the interactive effect of cassava variety, delay period and quantity of starch on the nutritional composition of the sweetener on a 5% confidence level. The result revealed the highest extraction efficiency of which full hydrolysis for cassava variety (Manihot palmatal), 45minutes delay period and 2 kg quantity of starch compared with cassava variety (Manihot dulcis) 45 minutes delay period and 2 kg quantity of starch that gave the extraction efficiency of 76.93% and 78.03%, respectively. In nutritional value and sugar concentration comparison, the cassava sweetener obtained gave values closer to the established cassava sweetener and, as such, is a proper replacement for artificial sweetener.