Developing Extruded Breakfast Flakes Using Cassava Flour

Abstract

Increasing prices of wheat and maize have sparked a need for cheap and affordable sources of carbohydrates like cassava for production of extruded breakfast flakes (cereals). This study evaluated the suitability of cassava flour in making breakfast flakes. Breakfast flakes were made by extruding a mixture of cassava flour, sugar, water and salt (at temperatures of 81°C, 93°C, and 89°C, screw speed of 35 rpm and a feed rate of 8kg/hr). The flakes were assayed for physical properties (water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), bulk density and color), nutritional composition (proximate fractions and energy) and sensory acceptability. The flakes were also compared to a commercial breakfast flake on the market. The physical properties of cassava flakes and commercial flakes differed significantly (p<0.05). Cassava flakes had a higher WSI (57.63%) but a lower bulk density (0.32 g/cm3 ), WAI (2.34 g/g), and color (yellow orange + 1.73). Cassava flakes had significantly lower (p<0.05) nutritional values; moisture (6.01%), fat (0.34%), protein (6.57%), and dietary fiber (1.79%) with exceptions of ash (2.34%), carbohydrates (88.96%) and energy (434.04 Kcal/100g). The nutritional components of cassava flakes met the Uganda National Bureau of Standards requirements for breakfast cereals. On the overall, cassava flakes were acceptable (scores of 6.4 = ‘like slightly’) although their scores were significantly lower (p <0.05) than those of the commercial breakfast flake (scores of 8.0 = ‘like very much’). This study showed that cassava flour can be used to make nutritious and acceptable breakfast flakes.