Improved Nutrition and National Development Through the Utilization of Cassava in Baked Foods

Cassava (Manihot spp.) has become an important crop in many parts of the world for processing into several human foods and industrial commodities. Increased utilization of cassava and its products has been a catalyst for industrial development, creating sources of income for farmers, processors and traders. In poorer developing countries of the tropical and semi-tropical climates where wheat cannot be, or is not, cultivated, cassava has become a major source of revenue, contributing significantly to the improvement of food and livelihood security by directly or indirectly helping to reduce the huge foreign exchange expended on wheat, a major raw material in the production of bread, biscuits and pastry products. This chapter highlights the importance and use of cassava in the bakery industry. The benefits of including cassava, partly or wholly, are highlighted. Also discussed are the problems involved in the conversion of cassava into products on an industrial basis, e.g. the large amounts of material required for industrial processing, pre-process storage of cassava roots and flour and the influence of pre-process root storage, root maturity and flour storage on the physicochemical and sensory attributes of cassava biscuit; possible solutions are highlighted. Nutritional improvement of cassava flour products is also discussed.