Amelioration of garri, a cassava-based fermented food by the inoculation of microorganisms secreting amylase, lysine and linamarase into cassava mash

Lactobacillus delbruckii, L. coryneformis and Saccharomyces sp. were found, among 214 isolates from cassava-processing environments to be the highest producers of linamarase, amylase and lysine. The organisms were inoculated into cassava mash, individually, and with all three mixed together, and fer mented un-dewatered for up to 120 h. The quality of garri produced from mas h inoculated with a combination of all three organisms was greatly improved in terms of reduced cyanide content and the presence of lysine. When compa red with garri made from singly inoculated mash, and the control, the multi ple inoculated mash had the lowest cyanide content (0.3 mu g/g) after 24 h, as compared to the control (3.1 mu g/g), the highest lysine content (5.05 g/kg) when compared with the control (0.40 g/kg) after 48 h fermentation, a nd was rated as significantle (P < 0.01) most acceptable by tasters. A comp romise period of 48 h would appear best to ferment garri with the mixture o f the three organisms, since the highest level of lysine production occurre d from 48 h, although the highest cyanide reduction and the highest accepta bility rating each occurred within 24 h of:incubating cassava mash with the mixture of three organisms.