Innovations in Cassava Flour and Starch Applications: Challenges and Prospects to the Economy of Cassava Producing Countries of the World

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculentus, Crantz) is an important source of staple foods for some countries in Africa, Asia and Caribbean. Development of novel products from it has been expanding its food and industrial applications. Reports has it that it is one of the mainstays of economy of some tropical and subtropical countries of the world. Major primary products from cassava roots that enjoy global prominence are cassava flour and starch. Several research efforts aimed at improving the qualities of these products and expand their utilizations have been undertaken worldwide. The efforts led to the development of numerous new products and proposition of several technological interventions for the new products and for the significant improvement of the rate of production of existing ones. However, transferring the technologies from laboratory/pilot scale to medium scale level and commercial scale productions of the new and improved products were met with some hurdles. Successful harnessing of the full benefits/potentials of cassava flour and starch is sure to provide stable and sustainable employment and income for millions of people in the cassava growing regions of the world. This paper seeks to review some important innovations in cassava flour and starch applications, challenges to the transfer of new knowledge and prospects of the innovations to the global economy, especially the cassava growing region of the world.