The effect of processing on the quality properties of cassava and its starch was reviewed. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a broadly cultivated root crop and mostly consumed in developing nations. Cassava can be processed into flour, chips and starch for subsequent use in food production. Fermentation, boiling, drying, steaming, baking, blanching, frying and parboiling are some of the methods of processing cassava roots. These processes lead to a reduction in its cyanide content and other effects on cassava quality. The use of native cassava starch in food industry applications cannot be over emphasized; however, a major factor militating against its use is the finite imbalance in its structure and properties. As a result of this, native starch from cassava requires some form of modification to enhance its quality in terms of structure and functionality.

Keywords: Cassava; cyanide; quality indices; cassava processing; phytochemicals; anti-nutrients; fermentation; fortification

Biography:
Adewale Olusegun Omolola is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Agricultural and Rural Engineering, University of Venda, South Africa. His research interest includes processing and preservation of food crops, food processing optimization, microstructure of dehydrated food crops, modeling and optimization of food processing operations.