Influence of Temperature and Enrichment on Storage Qualities of Soy-Enriched “Lafun”, a Protein-Enriched Cassava Product

Abstract

The influence of enrichment and temperature on the storage qualities of soy enriched fermented mashed lafun was investigated. Samples of the protein-enriched lafun were produced from fermented cassava obtained by soaking peeled cassava chunks in water, at ambient temperature (28 – 32⁰C) for 2 – 5days. The enriched dried milled lafun flour was packaged in the high density polythene and stored under three different temperatures of 10⁰C, 30⁰C, and 40⁰C. Samples were withdrawn at four weeks interval to measure the changes in their chemical compositions during storage. The moisture increased from 6.67 to 9.21% and 4.29 to 8.00% at 10⁰C and 30⁰C respectively, but followed another trend on the samples stored at 40⁰C which decreases as the temperature increases. FFA values increased at 10⁰C 0.50%-0.90% and 30⁰C 0.56%-1.07%. TBA increased from 0.11-0.27, 0.12-0.67 and 0.24-0.45 mda/kg for control samples at 10⁰C, 30⁰C and 40⁰C respectively, while sample supplemented with soy, increased from 0.25-0.37, 0.39-0.7 and 0.24-0.94mda/kg at 10⁰C, 30⁰C and 40⁰C respectively. At higher temperature of 40⁰C, browning increased sharply after about 16 weeks of storage from about 0.02nm to 0.017nm of change in absorbance per month (dA₄₂₅). Therefore, enrichment and high temperature reduces the shelf life of lafun, which could be better stored at temperature lower than 30⁰C than at high temperature of 40⁰C.