Effect of traditional processing of cassava on the cyanide content of gari and cassava flour.

Detoxification of cassava cultivars (30572 TMS and 30555 TMS) during their traditional methods of processing to produce gari and cassava flour has been investigated. The HCN quantitative determination was done using the enzymatic assay. Fermentation of cassava pulp for 96 hours during cassava processing for gari reduced the HCN by 22 ppm (52.4 percent) and 20 ppm (57.3 percent) for 30572 TMS and 30555 TMS respectively. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the HCN content of the two cultivars. Soaking of the sliced cassava tissue for 24 hours in cassava flour production prior to sundrying resulted in 16 ppm (38.1 percent) and 15 ppm (38.4 percent) HCN reduction for 30572 TMS and 30555 TMS respectively. HCN loss during sundrying was 6 ppm (14.3 percent) and 5 ppm (12.8 percent) for the two cultivars. There was significantly (P < 0.05) higher HCN loss in processing of gari than cassava flour. The residual cyanide in gari was 12 ppm for 30572 TMS and 10 ppm for 30555 TMS and that in the flour was 20 ppm for 30572 and 19 ppm for 30555 TMS.