BACKGROUND Biofortification of cassava with pro-vitamin A can potentially reduce vitamin A deficiency in low-income countries. However, little is known about consumer acceptance of this deep yellow variety of cassava compared to the commonly available white varieties. We aimed to determine the sensory and cultural acceptability of the consumption of pro-vitamin A rich cassava in order to identi...

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) wild relatives remain a largely untapped potential for genetic improvement. However, the domestication syndrome phenomena from wild species to cultivated cassava remain poorly understood. The analysis of leaf anatomy and photosynthetic activity showed significantly different between cassava cultivars SC205, SC8 and wild relative M. esculenta ssp. Flabellifolia...

Background: Whereas conventional white cassava roots are devoid of provitamin A, biofortified yellow varieties are naturally rich in b-carotene, the primary provitamin A carotenoid. Objective: We assessed the effect of consuming yellow cassava on serum retinol concentration in Kenyan schoolchildren with marginal vitamin A status. Design:We randomly allocated 342 children aged 5–13 y to receive ...

Cassava brown streak disease is caused by two devastating viruses, Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) which are frequently found infecting cassava, one of sub-Saharan Africa's most important staple food crops. Each year these viruses cause losses of up to $100 million USD and can leave entire families without their primary food source, for an entire...

Cassava is a major staple food for about 800 million people in the tropics and sub-tropical regions of the world. Production of cassava is significantly hampered by cassava brown streak disease (CBSD), caused by Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV). The disease is suppressing cassava yields in eastern Africa at an alarming rate. Previous studies have ...

Due to unfavourable climatic conditions, the production of wheat in Mozambique is not sufficient to satisfy national food industrial needs and substantial quantities must be imported at high cost. Bread is currently produced basically using wheat flour. Therefore, this thesis examined the partial replacement of wheat flour by cassava-maize flours in the Mozambican bread manufacturing context an...

Executive Summary 1. Maize has been the recognised staple food for most Zambians in rural and urban areas. Food security policies and strategies in Zambia have therefore, remained highly biased towards maize. The danger of over-depending on maize is that its production is expensive and reliance on it alone narrows the food base, and also makes the national food security system vulnerable to dro...

The biochemical and toxicological effects of occupational and dietary exposure of humans to cyanide poisoning from large-scale cassava processing and ingestion of cassava foods were investigated using spectrophotometric and enzymatic methods. Analysis of urinary and serum thiocyanate (cyanide metabolite) from workers in cassava processing industries, who were 'frequent' [those who eat cassava f...

BACKGROUND Whereas conventional white cassava roots are devoid of provitamin A, biofortified yellow varieties are naturally rich in β-carotene, the primary provitamin A carotenoid. OBJECTIVE We assessed the effect of consuming yellow cassava on serum retinol concentration in Kenyan schoolchildren with marginal vitamin A status. DESIGN We randomly allocated 342 children aged 5-13 y to receiv...

This study examined the influence of socioeconomic variables of farmers on their choice of cassava varieties in Kogi State of Nigeria. A total of 360 cassava farmers were selected through multi-stage random sampling procedure. Data collected through structured questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, customer-buying behavioral model and dynamic programming model. The results sh...