Revista de Processamento e Tecnologia de Alimentos

Abstrato

Garification Process, Nutrient Composition and Quality Evaluation of Combined Formulas of Gari Made with Cassava (Manihot esculenta) and Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) from Cameroon

G. Yadang*, H C Yangoua Mafo, Chelea Matchawe, JJ Tsafack Takadong, AD Tchuenchieu Kamgain, I Mbome Lape, GJM Medoua Nama

Garification is a process that consists of processing cassava into a by-product called gari. The process involves peeling of tubers, their washing, grating, bagging, fermentation, pressing, defibering, sieving and simultaneous cooking and drying. Gari is widely consumed, but one of the major limiting factors of its consumption is the low nutrient content and huge post-harvest losses to which it is subject every year. It will be interesting to supplement cassava with sweet potato. This has led to investigate the potential production of gari from sweet potato tubers and to evaluate the nutritional quality of different prototypes made both from cassava and sweet potato. Gari was produced from mixes of cassava and sweet potato tubers at different ratios (100:0, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25 and 0:100 cassava and potato tubers, respectively). Nutritional, microbiological and functional analyses carried out on the various mixtures showed that the sweet potato tubers suited well to the garification process. With a higher dry matter (89.06%), total sugar (8.72%), dietary fiber (7.52%) and calcium (1.55%) content, sweet potato-based gari showed a better nutritional quality than the one obtained from cassava. Gari made from an equal mixture of cassava and sweet potato led to a product rich in protein and fat. Panellists showed a preference for 75% cassava and 25% sweet potato for its smell, taste and colour. Replacing partially cassava with sweet potato for the production of gari is an alternative for the valorization of local products and fight against malnutrition through the development of new energy-rich food products.