EFFECT OF STORAGE ON THE PASTING PROPERTIES OF FLOURS FROM TWO CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTA CRANTZ) CULTIVARS

To reduce the cost of production of confectionery products and also create source of income, cassava is being used to complement wheat. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of Nigeria’s staple roots crops which are plagued with high incidence of post harvest losses. Whereas, cassava needed for confectionery products need not undergo fermentation stage, hence, it should be processed within 24h after harvesting, but in case of power failure and/or plant break down, then storage comes to the rescue to curtail economic losses. Therefore, the objective of this research work is to determine the effect of
storage on the qualities of cassava tuber that is not immediately processed to flour. The cassava (ManihotesculentaCrantz) tubers of two cultivars (MS 6 and TMS 30572) were harvested and purchased from The Federal College of Agriculture Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria. Tubers from two cultivars (MS 6 and TMS 30572) of cassava were stored in wet saw-dust treated with fungicide in perforated galvanized steel boxes. The tubers were taken at 48h interval for 10 days, washed, peeled, sliced and oven dried at 600C for 48 h. The chips were milled into flour, sieved and sealed in polythene bags. Pasting properties of the
two samples were analyzed. Pasting properties of the flour showed high peak viscosity (6169 cP) in day 1 sample of MS 6. Peak viscosity values were reduced with storage time in both cultivars. High final viscosity (4001cP) was observed in MS 6 at day 4. Storage of cassava had high impact on the pasting properties; MS 6 cultivars had better qualities during storage than TMS 30572.