EFFECT OF UNIT OPERATIONS OF PRODUCTION ON THE CYANIDE CONTENT AMD ACCEPTABILITY OF GARI

The effect of holding, pressing, initial moisture content, sunheating, and garifying, on pH, total titratable acidity (TTA) and residual cya nide content of cassava mash, cake and gari, were evaluated. A new met hod to make gari with very low residual cyanide was developed. Increas ing holding time decreased pH, cyanide content, but increased TTA of m ash and gari when initial moisture content of mash was greater or equa l to 63-65%. Reducing the initial moisture content of mash below 60% i ncreased pH, reduced the residual cyanide, but increased the TTA in th e mash. The optimum holding period was 72 h beyond which there was no reduction in residual cyanide content. Pressing and garifying further reduced the residual cyanide of cassava mash and gari, respectively. S ensory properties of gari prepared by the new laboratory method were s imilar to those of gari produced by the traditional method.