Introduction
1.1 Background Of The Study
Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) is a dicotyledonous plant belonging to the botanical family Euphorbiacea. Cassava is primarily a source of carbohydrates and contains very little protein or fat. It is a staple food for over 500 million people in the developing world, (FAO, 2005).
Cassava tubers are highly perishable and cannot be kept in fresh condition for more than a few days after harvest without serious deterioration in quality. In order to extend its shelf life, cassava is being processed into dried products in a variety of ways in different parts of the world to meet the local needs, taste and storage.
The major process and form of cassava tuber fall into four general categories: meal, flour, chips and starch. (FAO, 2005). Traditionally, cassava roots are processed by various methods into numerous products, such as, Garri, fufu, lafun, abacha, pupuru e.t.c.
Cassava is widely used for both human consumption, livestock feed and various forms of Industrial uses, (FAO, 2006). It can be prepared by boiling, baking, frying and roasting. The young leaves of sweet cassava are used as vegetable greens and they are more wholesome than the roots since they contain high amount of protein, the leaves are also valuable food for particular goats, (Ihekoronye and Ngoddy, 1995). Also, there is an increase in the use of cassava in industrial fermentation for alcohol production and for microbial protein production for animal feed (FAO, 2005).
About 19% of the world production of cassava is used in the manufacture of industrial starch products (such as in laundry, gums and adhesive). And in the preparation of pharmaceuticals and in production of alcoholics, (Agbo-Egbe and Mbome, 2006). The demand for these products is on the increase and Governments interest in cassava research is also increasing with strong emphasis on mechanization. This is because cassava processing is labour intensive and the quality of the locally processed items are below acceptable standards. Lack of mechanization is responsible for the long time required for processing a given product.
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