Abstract:
The nutritional qualities of fufu produced from traditional, brine and backslopping
fermentation techniques were evaluated. The cassava roots were steeped in water
(1:4 kg/L) for 96 h for the production of traditional-fermented sample while fermented cassava liquor (10%w/v) was used to initiate fermentation in the backslopping technique. Two-staged method that involved fermentation and grating was
employed for the production of brine-fermented sample. The resultant “wet fufu”
samples were dried at 65C in a cabinet dryer and mechanically milled into flour.
The hydrogen cyanide level, proximate composition, functional properties, mineral
contents and the sensory evaluation of the flour samples were assessed. Lactic acid
bacteria populations comprised more than 95% of the total viable bacteria and
remained prominent through the fermentations, while the number of coliforms
and moulds declined as the fermentation progressed. Lactobacillus plantarum,
L. buchnerii, L. casei were implicated in the brine fermentation. The hydrogen
cyanide observed after fermentation and processing were 15.67 0.63 mg/kg,
13.29 0.68 mg/kg and 12.07 0.32 mg/kg for the traditional, brine and
backslopping-fermented samples, respectively. Lowest moisture content
(10.61 0.15%) was recorded in backslopping-fermented sample and highest
(12.69 0.34%) in traditional-fermented sample. The ash and carbohydrate
contents range from 0.76 0.23% to 0.92 0.27% and 82.57 0.56% to
84.03 0.58%, respectively. Higher protein contents were observed in brine
(2.25 0.19%) and backslopping (2.32 0.13%) fermentations while the lowest
crude fiber content (0.84 0.43%) was obtained in the brine-fermented sample.
The results of the functional properties show similar trend. Brine and backslopping
fermentation techniques offer lighter “fufu” flours and dough as indicated by the
lower swelling index (3.16 0.09 g/g and 2.66 0.18 g/g, respectively) and bulk
density (0.65 0.03 g/mL and 0.57 0.03 g/mL, respectively). The traditionalfermented sample had the highest water absorption capacity (4.89 0.06%). Brine
fermentation significantly (P < 0.05) increased the Ca (0.235 0.004 mg/kg), Na
(0.555 0.055 mg/kg) and K (0.504 0.009 mg/kg) contents of fufu flour than the
traditional fermentation which were 0.162 0.003 mg/kg, 0.0097 0.011 mg/kg
and 0.151 0.003 mg/kg respective. Sensory scores showed that production of fufu
using brine fermentation is more preferred than traditional fermentation.j
