Food safety in cassava “flour houses” of Copioba Valley, Bahia, Brazil: Diagnosis and contribution to geographical indication

Application of Central Composite Design and Superimposition Approach for Optimization of Drying Parameters of Pretreated Cassava Flour

The primary goals of this study were to identify the influence of temperature and drying time on pretreated cassava flour, as well as the optimal settings for the factors and to analyze the microstructure of cassava flour. The experiment was designed using the response surface methodology with central composite design and the superimposition approach in order to assess the effect of drying temperature (45.85-74.14 °C) and drying time (3.96-11.03 h) and the optimal drying conditions of the cassava flour investigated. Soaking and blanching were applied as pretreatments to freshly sliced cassava tubers. The value moisture content of cassava flour was between 6.22% and 11.07%, whereas the observed whiteness index in cassava flour ranged from 72.62 to 92.67 in all pretreated cassava flour samples. Through analysis of variance, each drying factor, their interaction, and all squared terms had a substantial impact on moisture content and whiteness index. The optimized values for drying temperature and drying time for each pretreated cassava flour were 70 °C and 10 h, respectively. The microstructure showed a non-gelatinized, relatively homogeneous in size and shape sample with pretreatment soaked in distilled water at room temperature. These study results are relevant to the development of more sustainable cassava flour production.

Process-Induced Modifications on Quality Attributes of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Flour

Cassava flour (CF) is a suitable representative and one of the easiest shelf-stable food products of the edible portion of the highly perishable cassava root (Manihot esculenta Crantz). The quality and type of CF are dependent on processing variables. Broadly categorized into fermented and unfermented CF, unfermented CF is white, odorless, and bland, while fermented CF has a sour flavor accompanied by its characteristic odor. The use of fermented CF as a composite is limited because of their off-odors. Modifications in CF processing have given rise to prefixes such as: modified, unmodified, gelatinized, fortified, native, roasted, malted, wet, and dry. Consumed alone, mostly in reconstituted dough form with soups, CF may also serve as a composite in the processing of various flour-based food products. Fermenting with microorganisms such as Rhizopus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in a significant increase in the protein content and a decrease in the cyanide content of CF. However, there are concerns regarding its safety for consumption. Pre-gelatinized CF has potential for the textural and structural improvement of bakery products. The average particle size of the CF also influences its functional properties and, subsequently, the quality of its products. Cassava flour is best stored at ambient temperature. Standardizing the processing of CF is a challenge because it is mostly processed in artisanal units. Furthermore, each variety of the root best suits a particular application. Therefore, understanding the influence of processing variables on the characteristics of CF may improve the utilization of CF locally and globally.

Innovative methodological approach using CIELab and dye screening for chemometric classification and HPLC for the confirmation of dyes in cassava flour: A contribution to product quality control

A variety of methods for producing cassava flour exist, resulting in very heterogeneous products that exhibit various colours, textures, granulometries, and flavours. To improve its attractiveness to consumers, some producers dye cassava flour with turmeric or tartrazine; however, this practice is illegal in Brazil. In this study, cassava flour samples were collected and evaluated for possible adulteration by the addition of dyes. Flours were analysed by CIELab and dye screening (paper chromatography and the turmeric-identification method) and a classification tree was developed using these data. Positive results for curcuminoid pigments or tartrazine were confirmed by HPLC-DAD or HPLC-UV-Vis, respectively. The developed approach is an innovative alternative chemometric-analysis method that facilitates highly practical screening; adulterated cassava flour, a product of great human-food importance, can be identified using CIELab parameters.

Interactive Effects of Chemical Pretreatment and Drying on the Physicochemical Properties of Cassava Flour Using Response Surface Methodology

Calcium chloride and citric acid (0.6-3.4%w/v) were separately applied in the pretreatment of two South African cassava landraces (white and red) processed into flour at drying temperatures of 45-74°C. Optimisation using the response surface methodology showed ash (0.79-4.42%) and crude fibre (2.77-5.12%) increased as the drying temperature (DT) and concentration of pretreatment (COP) increased. Starch content (78.06-84.71%) was not influenced by the processing variables. Both pretreatments improved the lightness and whiteness index of cassava flour. Optimal processing conditions of 70°C DT and 3%w/v COP were the same for the proximate composition of cassava flour from all experimental groups.