African Journal of Food Science. Vol 3 (3) pp. 061-067, March, 2009 Available online http://www.academicjournals.org/ajfs ISSN 1996-0794 ©2009 Academic Journal Full Length Research Paper Quality of fufu processed from cassava mosaic disease (CMD) resistant varieties Etudaiye, H.A.1, Nwabueze, T.U.2 and Sanni, L.O.3 1National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, P. M. B 7006, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. 2Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P. M. B 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. 3International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, P. M. B 5320, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Accepted 24 October 2008 Cassava fufu flours were produced from 43 Cassava Mosaic Disease resistant varieties. The cassava roots were washed, peeled and steeped in water in a 1:2 (v/v) for 48 h to ferment. The fermented pulp was sieved and mechanically milled into flour of 3.0 mm particle size. Proximate composition, functional properties and pasting characteristics of the ‘fufu’ flours were assessed. Moisture content ranged from 5.52 to 12.25%, protein 0.35 to 2.80% and dry matter 87.75 to 94.48%. Water absorption capacity ranged from 0.70 to 2.20 g/ml. The CMD varieties 92B/00068 and M98/0068 had the highest water absorption capacity values. Bulk density ranged from 0.61 in the variety 98/2226 to 0.70 g/ml in varieties 98/0505, 98/0510, 95/0379 and 95/0289 while final viscosity of the fufu flours ranged from 76.00 in 96/1569 to 295.00 RVU in the 99/6012 and pasting temperature from 77.55 to 81.60oC. Given the economic and nutritional importance of cassava, the development and subsequently processing the CMD resistant varieties into fufu flour will help to improve food security and diversity not only in Nigeria but also beyond. Key words: Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), fufu, functional properties, pasting characteristics. INTRODUCTION Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is an important staple food of CMD project by the International Institute of Tropical crop for millions of people in the tropical areas of African, Agriculture (IITA) primarily to develop Cassava Mosaic Asia and Latin America. It is estimated (IITA,1990) that Disease resistant varieties. Consequently, about 45 new the crop provides about 40% of all the calories consumed CMD resistant varieties have been developed (Nwabueze in Africa and ranks second only to cereal grains as chief and Anoruoh, 2008). source of energy in Nigerian diet (Ngoddy, 1989). Cassa- In Nigeria, rapid urban growth and development place a va roots contain mainly carbohydrates, of which 80% is dynamic challenge to cassava products and market deve- starch and >1% fat (Goomez, 1979). By this, cassava lopment for cassava foods will continue to increase. Alth- plays important role in alleviating African Food Crisis ough cassava roots are processed by several traditional though poor in protein (1.20%) and rich in cyanide (> 10 methods, which vary widely from region to region into mg/100 g fresh weight) in some varieties such as TMS products such as gari, lafun, landang, fufu, flour, chips, 50395 (IITA,1990). The NR8082 cassava variety with low starch akara, okpokpo garri, meal, ighu, syrups, dextrins, -cyanide high- yielding quality developed by the National and alcohol (Nwabueze and Odunsi, 2007), high quality Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria, has commonly cassava flour that can replace wheat and other imported been distributed to Nigerian farmers (Nwabueze and flours in tropical countries (Wheatley and Best, 1991) has Odunsi, 2007). However, Nigeria’s cassava output is now been reported. Production of fufu of acceptable standard threatened by a virulent form of the Cassava Mosaic Dis- from the CMD resistant varieties has not been adequately ease (CMD) advancing rapidly from East Africa (IITA, reported in literature. The objective of this research was 2005). This is what initiated the pre-emptive management to produce and evaluate fufu flour and dough from 43 CMD resistant varieties, in terms of their proximate com- position, functional and pasting properties. It is expected that the result obtained from the study will contribute in *Corresponding author: Email: [email protected] providing information on these CMD resistant varieties 062 Afr. J. Food Sci. Table 1. Forty three 10-12 months old CMD resistant varieties and sealed in grip-seal polyethylene bags (Gl-model, 2.25” X 2.25”, harvested from the field trial of NRCRI, Umudike. Jiffy bags macro packaging Co., United Kingdom). Packaged sam- ples were stored at room temperature (28 ± 2oC) until ready for CMD CMD CMD analysis. S/n Varieties S/n Varieties S/n Varieties 1. 97/4769 16. TME 419 30. 92/0057 Proximate composition of fufu flours 2. 99/6012 17. 96/0603 31. 91/0166 3. 94/0561 18. 98/2226 32. 96/1089A Proximate composition of the 43 CMD fufu flours were determined in triplicates for moisture, crude protein (Kjeldhal method), fat (Sox- 4. 97/0162 19. 82/005 33. 96/1314 hlet method), and ash according to AOAC (1990). Total carbohy- 5. 94/0026 20. 97/0211 34. 97/3200 drate was determined by difference. The dry matter content of the 6. 96/1642 21. 95/0289 35. 98/0040 flours were calculated and reported as mean values in Table 2 whi- le the proximate values reported on wet matter basis is shown in 7. 98/0510 22. 92/0326 36. TMS 30572 Table 3. 8. 98/0505 23. 4(2)1452 37. 99/2123 9. 99/3037 24. 98/0002 38. 92/0067 10. 98/2101 25. 97/4779 39. 97/0039 Functional properties 11. 97/4763 26. 96/1632 40. 95/0379 Water absorption capacity (WAC) of the fufu flour samples was det- 12. 97/2205 27. 96/0523 41. 92B/0061 ermined by the method described by Okaka and Porter (1979) while 13. 98/1565 28. M98/0068 42. 98/0581 the bulk density was determined using the method described by 15. 92B/0068 29. M98/0028 43. 96/1569 Okezie and Bello (1988). NRCRI = National Root Crops Research Institute and CMD = Cassava Mosaic Disease resistant varieties. Pasting properties Pasting properties of the fufu flours were determined with the aid of a Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA 3D+, Network Scientific Unit, SNW and also serve as a guide for future research and impro- 2102, Australia). Parameters determined were final viscosity, set vement of these new cassava varieties. back viscosity, pasting time and pasting temperature. MATERIALS AND METHODS Statistical analysis Source of raw materials Data obtained from the analyses of the fufu flour samples were sub- jected to statistical analysis using Statistical Analytical System Forty three Cassava Mosaic Disease resistant (CMD) varieties were (SAS, 1999) software package. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was harvested at 10 - 12 months old from the field trial of National Root done and means separation using Fischer LSD to determine signi- Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria ficant differences at 5 % probability was done. (Table 1). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Production of fufu flours Proximate composition Cassava fufu flours were produced from each of the CMD resistant varieties using the processing methods described by Okpokiri et al. Table 2 shows the moisture, dry matter and energy con- (1984). The cassava roots were washed, peeled and re-washed tent of fufu flours produced from 43 CMD resistant varie- with clean borehole water. They were steeped in water in a 1:2 (v/v) ties in Umudike. Moisture content ranged from 5.52% in for 48 h. At the end of the steeping period the cassava samples were re-washed and grated into pulp using the IITA MK powered fufu flour made from the CMD 97/4769 variety to 12.25% grater (3.5HP petrol engine, Lambourn, LTD, Corydon, CR93EE, in the 96/1569 variety. The reverse was the case for their United Kingdom). dry matter contents being 94.48 and 87.75% respectively. Each cassava pulp sample was re-steeped in water for another The generally low moisture content of the fufu flours is an 24 h to ferment. The fermented pulp was sieved with Endescotts indication of a good stable shelf life if packaged and sto- laboratory test sieve with an aperture size of 2.0 mm (Endescotts red. This is because with this moisture range, the quality laboratory Test sieve London, United Kingdom). Recovered sam- ples were packed in bags and de-watered using a John Willy and of the final product will not be adversely affected. Further- Sons hydraulic press (7.5HP, John Willy and Sons LTD, United more, high moisture products require further costly drying Kingdom). The resulting cassava cake was pulverized by hand and operations to allow easy handling and storage (Sefa – sun-dried on a wide opaque water-proof spread (Jiffy bags macro Dedeh and Saalia, 1997). Values of moisture contents packaging Co., United Kingdom). were within the recommended standard of 13 % (m/m) for The sun-dried sample was mechanically milled into flour of 3.0 edible cassava flour (Sanni et al., 2005). mm particle size using a disc attrition mill (2A premier mill, Hunt and Co., United Kingdom). Further sieving was done manually with a The high dry matter is an indication of desirable quality muslin cloth to obtain fine fufu flour. The fufu flours obtained from attributes in the CMD resistant varieties. Such attributes the 43 batches of CMD resistant varieties were properly packaged like good yields, diseases and pest tolerance, high root Etudaiye et. al. 063 Table 2. Moisture and dry matter content of fufu flours produced from 43 CMD resistant varieties in Umudike Cassava cultivar Moisture content (%) Dry mattercontent (%) Energy (kcal/g) 97/4769 5.52 ± 0.02 94.48 ± 0.02 375.08± 0.03 99/6012 6.17 ± 0.01 93.83 ± 0.01 375.40± 0.04