LOCAL FERMENTED FOOD PRODUCTS IN TANZANIA

(Case study -Fermented cassava flour as processed at Ludewa district

Njombe)

By: HAULE, Musa I. (2016)

Introduction

Cassava (Manihot esculent) is the one of the most important staple food
crops grown in tropical Africa(Johnson & Corresponding 2012; Oirschot et al.
n.d.). It plays the major roles in effort to alleviate African food crisis because
of its efficient production of food energy year round availability, tolerance to
extreme stress conditions, and suitability to present farming and food system
in Africa. Starch substances (obtained from cassava) are used in cooking,
pudding and other dishes (Oirschot et al. n.d.).

Locally cassava roots are processed by various methods into numerous

products and utilized in various ways according to the local customs and
preferences. Improvement of cassava processing and utilization techniques
would greatly increase labor efficiency, income, living standards of farmers
and urban poor, enhance shelf life of products, facilitate their transportation,
increasing their marketing opportunity and improve human and livestock
nutrition.

The traditionally processing procedures aimed at reducing cyanide so as to

improve storability, convenience, and palatability. Bitter cassava produces
400mg of cyanogenic glycosides per kg eight times more than sweat
cassava. To reduce poison/toxicity for bitter cassava, fermentation
technology is effective by soaking peeled cassava for a long time until it
ferment than when sweat cassava is used.
 Processing of cassava roots by fermentation into cassava flour

Harvesting

Peels for
Peeling animal
feeds

Washing Soil and

dust

Soaking or
AIR Fermentation

Water
Pressing Toxic
compounds
(cyanide)

Drying

Milling

Storage

Chart 1: Unit operation for the production of cassava flour by local

fermentation technology
Processing of cassava by fermentation method produces a product with
different texture, flavor, aroma and other sensory properties. Locally aerobic
type of fermentation is applied to the peeled cassava root to allow the
product to ferment in a pot (local fermentation vessel). Therefore, there are
several unit operations applied which are as follows.

i. Harvesting

The fact of producing a quality product is accompanied by having quality

raw materials. This refers to the appropriate sensory parameters to the raw
material such as size, presence or absence of mould and or fungi. Manually
cassava roots are harvested from the farm and transported to home where
other operations are continued.

ii. Peeling

This refers to as the removal of outer layer of cassava roots, it also aimed at
reducing cyanide from the product since some it is presumed to concentrate
into the peels.

iii. Washing

For the good manufacturing procedures (GMP), before further processing,

the peeled cassava roots have to be washed in water so as to remove
debris, soil and soil organism. This process assure the quality product is
produced and further the fermentation process will undergo well (the
presence of other microorganism and or poison will inhibit effectiveness of
the process.

iv. Soaking/Fermentation

This is where the raw material (peeled cassava roots) changes their physical
and chemical properties such as aroma, flavor, acidity properties, texture
and color. The clay pot which is used as fermentation vessel is cleaned and
then filled with sanitary water, the peeled cassava is the put into the clay pot
containing water. The process is done by covering all peeled cassava with
water and half covering the clay pot by bamboo tray. During this process,
the peeled cassava is allowed to ferment in the clay pots for three (3) days
for the maximum fermentation process to achieve the desired properties.
Therefore poisonous chemicals from the cassava (cyanide) are absorbed by
water and thus the bitterness of cassava is reduced.

Figure 1: Traditional fermenter (clay pot) filled with peeled cassava ready for
fermentation, day 1

As the process continues, the bubbles are produced on top of the vessel.
This proves that there are the gases which are produced during the process.
And the aroma also changes, which proves to the effectiveness of
fermentation process and further quality product.

v. Pressing

After 3 days of fermentation, the fermented peeled cassava roots are

removed from the vessel and pressed to remove water (This process is
sometime known as coarse milling). The process is done by putting the
fermented peeled cassava into plastic bags (25kgs) and either by twisting
them or by putting logs or stones on the bags containing the fermented
peeled cassava. Water containing cyanide and other chemicals are
removed and the product taste sweater than before it has been soaked
(fermented) for the bitter cassava.

vi. Drying

Traditionally, the fermented peeled cassava roots after fermentation and

pressing, they are allowed to dry (sun drying) on the bamboo mates for 3-4
days during summer and 4-5 days during winter.

Figure 2: Sun drying (pressed cassava) at rular Ludewa

vii. Milling

During milling process (sometime is known as fine milling); fine powder is

obtained by placing the dried cassava into a milling machine.

viii. Storage

Locally, the milled cassava is stored into plastic bags or plastic buckets. This
can handle its quality for one week without sun drying and if it is available it
can be dried and increase its shelf life

Conclusion

Since fermentation of cassava is aimed at reducing cyanide level and

adding value on cassava flour, therefore the development of traditional
fermentation technology is not enough for best quality cassava flour to be
produced as per value addition so as to increase the market demand of
local fermented food products (Oirschot et al. n.d.).

References

Johnson, J. & Corresponding, M., 2012. Mapping of the Sweet Potato Value
Chain Linkages between Actors , Processes and Activities in the Value
Chain : A Case of Michembe and Matobolwa Products. , 1(1).

Oirschot, Q. Van, Ngendello, T. & Westby, A., Improving cassava processing

for the market. , pp.2426.