Quality evaluation of Gari from cassava substituted with blended Colocasia esculenta and Xanthosoma sagittifolium for enhanced food security

Abstract

The increasing use of cassava for various products combined with its overreliance for gari processing, has created a volatile supply chain that results in skyrocketing gari prices, making the staple food unaffordable. The partial replacement of cassava with Colocasia esculenta and Xanthosoma sagittifolium can foster food diversification and security. The cassava and cocoyam tubers were processed into a mash and mixed at different substitution ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, and 0:100, w/w), fermented, dewatered, and roasted to produce gari samples. The gari samples were analysed for proximate, functional, antinutritional components, and sensory acceptability. The results have protein (1.02–4.61%), ash (0.75–2.57%), and fiber (2.02–2.20%) levels increasing as the proportion of cocoyam increased, while carbohydrate slightly decrease (82.33–88.25%). Physicochemical properties such as water absorption (2.07–4.57 g/g), swelling capacity (5.69–8.00%), and bulk density (0.46–0.59 g/ml) showed improvement across the various blends. The oxalate, tannin, and phytate were within acceptable thresholds. Sensory analysis showed that 80:20 cassava-to-cocoyam blend has highest overall acceptability score. This revealed the potential of cocoyam as a valuable yet underutilized ingredient that can enhance the production of gari and promote the diverse use of roots and tubers for sustainable food security.