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Pasting Properties of Flour Processed from NRCRI Cassava Crossing Block Trial
Abstract
Cassava roots are processed into different types of products such as gari, lafun, landang, fufu, flour, chips, starch, akara, meal, ighu, syrups, dextrins, and alcohol. Characterizing the food and industrial potentials of different cassava varieties may be achieved by understanding the pasting properties of the roots and intermediate products such as flour. Fourteen (14) elite cassava clones and a preferred land race were harvested from National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike cassava crossing block experimental field. Freshly harvested cassava clones were washed, peeled and cut into chips.The Chipped cassava roots were oven dried at 50oC and milled into flour for pasting properties which was determined using a Rapid visco analyzer (RVA). There were no significant difference (p>0.05) in some of the parameters evaluated as was observed in the Peak viscosity which ranged from 337.50(NR-095-F) –547.96RVA (TMS 98/0505). Trough viscosity ranged from 150.80(TMS13F5110P0008) -292.88RVA (NR-14B-218), while breakdown viscosity ranged from 191.33RVAin TMS13F1343P0044to 315.92RVA in TMS95/0505. Final viscosity of the samples ranged from 159.63-451.84RVA in NR-0957 and NR-14B-218, while set back value ranged from 33.58RVA in NR-095-F to 158.96RVA in NR-14B-218 with no significant difference (p>0.05) among the samples. Peak time ranged from 4.13-5.30min, while pasting temperature ranged from 65.93oC (TMS13F1343P0022) - 87.10oC (NR-095F). The study therefore showed that NR-095Fhad the highest final viscosity, setback value and a good pasting temperature. The good swelling potential exhibited by all the clones reveals their suitability for making confectioneries.