ABSTRACT

Cassava flour samples were produced using 2 Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) resistant varieties (TMS 80572 and NR8082). The cassava tubers were peeled, washed, grated and dewatered. The dewatered cake was pulverized. Each variety divided into two, one half was flash dried and the other half sundried. The dried flour samples were milled and sieved. Parts of the sundried and flashdried cassava flour samples were treated with 0.24mg and 0.12mg of t-ascorbic acid and 1-cysteine respectively to 1.6kg of the cassava flour samples. They were packaged and aged for 150 days. The flour samples were analyzed at 30 days interval for functional and rheological properties. The hulk density, gelatinization temperature and amylase content of the flour samples increased during storage but the rate of increase was higher in the sunned sample. The gelation capacity remained constant during storage. The amylopectin content of the flour samples decreased with storage period. Storage increased the water absorption capacity of all the samples. Gelatinization was highest in the sundried and treated IMS 30572 cassava flour samples with peak viscosity ranging from2860AU to 3311AU and lowest in the flash dried and untreated NR8082 with peak viscosity ranging from 1734AU to 3210AU. Maximum extension and extensibility were highest in the sundried and untreated NR 8082 with the values of 898BU and 146mm respectively and lowest in the flash dried untreated TMS 30572 with the values of 589BU and 135mm respectively. From the sensory evaluation results, all the bread produced was accepted by the panelists but acceptance was highest for the sundried and treated cassava flour samples (P > 0. 05). It was concluded that storage, aging substances and drying method affected the functional properties of cassava flour. From the result of the research, cassava flour sample NR8082 and TMS 30572 sundned and treated were recommended for use in bakeries and confectionaries.