Levels of Cyanide in Cassava Fermented with Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and the Organoleptic Assessment of its Food Products

The effects of Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass) on the detoxification of cassava tubers and the sensory evaluation of their cassava fufu products were investigated. One kilogram of freshly harvested cassava tuber was fermented with varying amounts (1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 g) of lemon grass for one to five days. Fermentation resulted in a decrease in the cyanide content and this was significant (P<0.001) by the 5 day in th all the treatments. However, the cyanide content of cassava tubers fermented with 2.0 g and 3.0 g lemon grass showed the lowest content of residual cyanide (0.81 and 1.08 mg HCN/100 g wet weight respectively). Furthermore, the ‘fufu’ (a dough) produced from the fermented cassava products using 1.0 g and 2.0 g lemon grass were most acceptable as judged by a 10-point sensory evaluation. Thus, 2 g of lemon grass per kilogram of cassava is recommended for use in the fermentation of cassava for the production of fufu in order to achieve optimal detoxification and acceptability.