EFFECT OF STORAGE AND COOKING PRACTICES ON THE TOTAL CYANIDE CONTENT OF TWO CASSAVA (MANIHOT ESCULENTA CRANTZ) CULTIV ARS

Abstract

Effect of different storage and cooking practices on the total cyanide content of the cultivars Amarokello white and Umbure was conducted
using enzymatic assay. Total cyanide reduction varied between different storage methods resulting ina higher reduction in sundned flour (98.6-99.3%)compared to ground (1.9-51.4%), trench (6.1-49.1 %) and refrigerator (4.0:-29.7%). Cooking the root also brought about a wide range of total cyanide reduction in Amarokello white (73.0-98.2%) and Umbure (61.0-96.1 %) cultivars. The highest total cyanide reduction was . obtained when the roots were soaked, sundried and baked. The lowest total cyanide reduction in the two cultivars, however, was obtained when the roots were boiled without prior soaking. Soaking the cassava leaf in water before boiling led to a higher reduction. Boiling the leaf after sundrying with or without soaking resulted in the highest reduction of total cyanide in both Amarokello white (99.1-99.6%) and Umbure (96.0-- 97.5%) cultivars.