Modification and quality characteristics of cocoyam starch and its potential for chin-chin production

Abstract

Effect of modification and quality characteristics of cocoyam starch for the production of chin-chin was investigated. Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifollium) starch was subjected to acid modification, blended with wheat flour in the ratios 90:10, 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40, the 100% and used to prepare chin-chin samples, 100% wheat flour was used as the control sample. Functional and pasting properties of the modified cocoyam starch, wheat flour and the blends were assessed; proximate composition and sensory properties of the chin-chin produced from the blends were investigated. Bulk density of the 100% modified cocoyam starch, 100% wheat flour, 80:50, 70:30 and 50:20 blends were 0.51, 0.66, 0.56, 0.62 and 0.68 g/mL, respectively. Oil absorption capacity, water absorption capacity and pasting temperature ranged between, 2.07-2.24 g/g, 1.42-1.78 g/g and 90.90-94.33°C, respectively. Proximate analysis revealed that the chin-chin sample from 100% modified cocoyam starch had the highest carbohydrate, ash and crude fibre (73.43±0.07, 1,625±0.0, 1,965±0.0, respectively), closely followed by 70:30 blend whereas sample from 100% wheat had the lowest. Sensory evaluation on the chin-chin samples revealed that the 70:30 blends was the most acceptable sample. Modified cocoyam starch blended with wheat flour gave good functional properties and the chin-chin samples produced from them have good sensory qualities which showed an enhancement in its utilization.