1.0 Introduction
Cassava flour is the finer fraction obtained from a whole series of processing operations such as drying operation, milling operation, (sieving) operation.
The purest flour selected from the purest flour stream, released in the mill is often called patent flour, it ha slow mineral)or ash) content and is remarkably free from traces of impurities.
Cassava flour are of various types, namely, bread making flour, biscuit four, self raising flour.
Drying operation which is usually the final stage in most chemical manufacturing processes. It largely involves simultaneous heat and mass transfer, fluid flow, material handling. The significance of drying operations in chemical allied industries cannot be over-emphasized. Some of these include: to increase the shelf life of the material, to lesson the transport cost, space and weight requirement for easy packaging etc.
1.1 Aims and Objectives of the Research Work
Since traditional Nigerian techniques of cassava flour production have been studied with a view to mechanizing the processes. The results of the this research work show that the processing, time can be much reduced if mechanized. Their various findings also show that drying is an essential and crucial procedure in the cassava flour processing. The effect variation is processing parameters on the production shall be discussed in datail.
1.2 Scope of the Project
Although cassava flour ca be produced using drying equipment and using sun drying but the difference will be in the colour, taste and texture and of course nutritionally one is heavier than the other upon consumption. Invariably, in order to achieve the laid down standards/ objectives, an insight is generally needed to the whole project work.
At the end of this project, we will show the significance of the cassava flour production using drying equipment, advantage of mechanized production as well as recommendation for its improvement.
1.4 Literature On Method of Production
Basically, cassava flour production method is classified under the ld method / traditional processing method and the modern processing method.
1.5 Traditional Method of Cassava Flour Production Under Sun Drying Method
This method specifically made use of natural sunlight as the drying medium, here, the peeled washed cassava cubes or sliced tubers is put into perforated plastic ware.
The tubers is then dried by placing it outside for the sun to dry it up and the moisture content is checked for every showers depending on the intensity of the sunray until it stabilized.
Upon obtaining a bone dry level, we dry milled it into fine powder and it was later sieved using the multi sieve to obtain uniform size gardings and to remove any form of impurities. At this level, an instant cassava flour had been produced.
1.6 Modern Method of Cassava Flour Production
The modern method of cassava flour production are thus: Oven Drying Method and Rotary Drying Method.
1.7 Oven Drying Method
This method employed the use of oven drying equipment (from food science & Technology department). In this case, oven drying is similar to sun drying but the difference here was that the oven dryer was employed to do the drying process.
Here, the sliced cassava tuber were placed in the oven at various temperature to check the optimum temperature which was obtained at 800c and moisture content was checked for every 10 minutes till it stabilized. And after 200 minutes (about 3hrs, 30mins), a bone dried cassava is obtained. All other processes of obtaining cassava flour is carried out here as done in the case of sun drying method.
1.8 Uses of Cassava Flour
The flour obtained from cassava is characterised into two broad scale depending on how they are put in usage namely: on large scale use and (2) on Small scale usage.
1.9 Large Scale Or Commercial Purpose
- Cassava flour are used in pharmaceutical; industries.
- Cassava flour are used in food processing industries for bread making, biscuit making etc.
- Cassava flour is used as self raising flour
1.9.1 On Small Scale Production
- Cassava flour are used in the production of locally made or process stable food common in the southern region called AMALA
- Used in the production of locally made cake
1.9.2 Characteristics of the Flour Products
The flour product can be grouped into the following depending on the purpose in which the flour is to put into use.
Bread Making Products:
They are flour products used in bread making, eaten in Nigeria, will from a dough capable of satisfactory, leaving action.
Biscuit:
For making of biscuits (cooking in Nigeria) a weak flour is required that makes a dough having more extensibility but less spring than that of a bread dough. Many have been reduced to a soft fine powder.
Self Raising Flour Product:
This is used for puddings cakes and pastry. The raising agents that produced the carbon dioxide gas required for distension are an alkaline body, bicarbonate of soder and an acid body generally acid calcium phosphate (A.C.P)
