Effect of Different Drying Techniques on the Functionality and Digestibility of Yellow-Fleshed Cassava Flour and Its Performance in Food Application

Abstract

The impact of different drying techniques on the properties of yellow cassava flour and its food application was investigated in this study. Flour was made from three cultivars of yellow cassava by solar-, hot air oven-, or drum- drying. Their functionality was determined by standard methods, and their digestibility was evaluated in vitro. The flours were used in the preparation of fufu, which was evaluated by sensorial and instrumental methods. The digestibility of drum-dried flours was higher (69.4–79.7%) than solar- (60.4–70.7%) or air oven-dried flours (60.3–70.4%), whereas β-carotene concentration was higher in air oven-dried samples compared to the others. Significant differences ( $p<0.05$ ) due to cultivar and/or drying technique were observed in the hydration and pasting properties of the flours. Instrumental texture analysis of fufu made from yellow cassava flours showed both drying technique and cultivar to affect the hardness, adhesiveness, and cohesiveness of the product. Acceptability scores for the fufu ranged from 4 to 6, with a decisive preference for samples produced from drum-dried flours. The study has shown the successful utilization of different drying techniques in the production of flour from yellow cassava variants for the preparation of fufu.