Pasting Properties of Ighu Prepared from Steamed Varieties of Cassava Tubers

Impacts of Environmental Factors on Pasting Properties of Cassava Flour Mediated by Its Macronutrients

The impacts of environmental conditions on pasting and physicochemical properties were investigated using flour samples of the same cassava cultivar grown in seven different locations. Significant location differences in essential component (except for fiber) content of cassava flour were observed. Cassava flour showed obviously separated traits in the principal component analysis (PCA) of near-infrared spectra (NIR) according to geographical origins. The environmental effects were significant in the pasting properties of cassava flours. Sufficient precipitation and suitable low temperature promoted accumulation of starch in cassava, resulting in the high peak viscosity values of cassava flour. Pasting temperatures of cassava flour had a significant direct correlation with growth temperature and were negatively correlated with altitude. Precipitation from August to October showed a stronger direct correlation with trough and final viscosity. The results of this study indicated the possibility of predicting and controlling cassava flour quality and pasting properties according to the environmental conditions.

Amaranth Leaves and Skimmed Milk Powders Improve the Nutritional, Functional, Physico-Chemical and Sensory Properties of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Flour

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and under nutrition are major public health concerns in developing countries. Diets with high vitamin A and animal protein can help reduce the problem of VAD and under nutrition respectively. In this study, composite flours were developed from orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), amaranth leaves and skimmed milk powders; 78:2:20, 72.5:2.5:25, 65:5:30 and 55:10:35. The physico-chemical characteristics of the composite flours were determined using standard methods while sensory acceptability of porridges was rated on a nine-point hedonic scale using a trained panel. Results indicated a significant (p < 0.05) increase in protein (12.1 to 19.9%), iron (4.8 to 97.4 mg/100 g) and calcium (45.5 to 670.2 mg/100 g) contents of the OFSP-based composite flours. The vitamin A content of composite flours contributed from 32% to 442% of the recommended dietary allowance of children aged 6–59 months. The composite flours showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in solubility, swelling power and scores of porridge attributes with increase in substitution levels of skimmed milk and amaranth leaf powder. The study findings indicate that the OFSP-based composite flours have the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement in the nutrition status of children aged 6–59 months in developing countries.

Production of nutrient-enhanced millet-based composite flour using skimmed milk powder and vegetables

The aim of this study was to develop a nutrient-enhanced millet-based composite flour incorporating skimmed milk powder and vegetables for children aged 6-59 months. Two processing methods were tested to optimize nutrient content and quality of millet-based composite flour, namely germination for 0, 24 and 48 hr and roasting at 80, 100, and 140°C. The amount of ingredients in the formulation was determined using Nutri-survey software. Germinating millet grains for 48 hr at room temperature significantly (p < 0.05) increased protein content (9.3%-10.6%), protein digestibility (22.3%-65.5%), and total sugars (2.2%-5.5%), while phytate content (3.9-3.7 mg/g) decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Roasting millet grains at 140°C significantly (p < 0.05) increased the protein digestibility (22.3%-60.1%) and reduced protein (9.3%-7.8%), phytate (3.9-3.6 mg/g), and total sugar content (2.2%-1.9%). Germinating millet grains at room temperature for 48 hr resulted in millet flour with the best nutritional quality and was adopted for the production of millet-based composite flour. Addition of vegetables and skimmed milk powder to germinated millet flour significantly (p < 0.05) increased the macro- and micronutrient contents and the functional properties of millet-based composite flour. The study demonstrated that the use of skimmed milk powder and vegetables greatly improves the protein quality and micronutrient profile of millet-based complementary foods. The product has the potential to make a significant contribution to the improvement of nutrition of children in developing countries.

Evaluating the Impacts of Selected Packaging Materials on the Quality Attributes of Cassava Flour (cvs. TME 419 and UMUCASS 36)

The influence of packaging materials (plastic bucket, low density polyethylene [LDPE] bags and paper bags) on quality attributes of the flour of 2 cassava cultivars (TME 419 and UMUCASS 36) stored at 23 ± 2 °C and 60% relative humidity (RH) were investigated for 12 wk. Cassava flour from each package type was evaluated for proximate composition, physicochemical properties and microbial growth at 4-wk intervals. Total color difference (∆E) of both cassava flour cultivars increased with storage duration. Flour packed in plastic bucket had the lowest change in color (3.2 ± 0.42) for cv. "TME 419ˮ and (4.1 ± 0.87) for cv. "UMUCASS 36ˮ at the end of week 12. Total carotenoid decreased across all treatment, and after the 12 wk storage, the highest total carotenoid retention (1.7 ± 0.02 and 2.0 ± 0.05 μg/mL) was observed in flour packed in plastic bucket. However, cassava flour in paper bag had the lowest microbial count of 3.4 ± 0.03 and 3.4 ± 0.08 log cfu/g for total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi, respectively.