Studies on the Physicochemical, Functional and Sensory Properties of Gari Processed from Dried Cassava Chips

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of drying temperature of chips, time of soaking and pressing on the quality of gari processed from dried cassava chips. Fresh cassava tubers were sliced and by sun dried and oven dried at 50 or 70°C. The chips were processed to gari by milling and soaking in four day old liquor (4DOL) for 3 or 4 days, transferred to the hydraulic press for 3 or 2 days respectively. The mash was sieved, fried, cooled and packaged. The proximate composition, physicochemical and functional properties of the gari samples were determined. Sensory evaluation was carried out on the gari samples in dry granular form and the reconstituted dough form (eba). The ash (1.54-1.70%), protein (1.22-1.69%), crude fibre (2.26-2.49%) and carbohydrate (82.38-86.48%) contents of the gari samples were not affected by the processing variables. The pH (4.00-6.80) of the gari samples decreased with fermentation time. The samples gelled completely at 9% (w/v). The pasting temperature (61.53-62.28°C) of the gari samples were not significantly (p < 0.05) different from each other. Solubility (3.03-38.10%), swelling capacity (3.13-8.19) and water absorption capacity (209.06-459.31%) were significantly (p > 0.05) influenced by the drying temperatures of the chips with gari from chips dried at 50°C having the highest values. Samples obtained from chips dried at 70°C, fermented for four days and pressed for two days recorded the highest overall acceptability.