Chemical, functional and physicochemical properties of flour from cassava stored under freezing

Cassava root spoils rapidly after harvest but can be well preserved by storing under freezing. This study investigated the functional, chemical and physicochemical properties of flour produced from frozen cassava roots. Freezing period did not significantly (p < 0.05) alter the moisture, ash, fat and fibre, but had slight effect on the carbohydrate and protein contents of the flour. Lightness, yellowness index and bulk densities of the flour samples reduced with freezing period. While freezing did not significantly (p < 0.05) change the ability of the flour samples to absorb oil, a slight but significant increase in the water absorption capacity was observed. Potassium (1.29-3.46 mg/kg), sodium (1.24-1.28 mg/kg), and calcium (0.94-1.34 mg/kg) were the major minerals in the cassava flour samples. The cyanide content (10.80-22.95 mg/kg) reduced as freezing days increased but peak, setback, breakdown and final viscosities did not follow a particular pattern. The information from this study is important to further determine the industrial potentials of flour from stored cassava roots.