Dynamics of Total Carotenoid Content of Yellow Root Cassava Varieties During Gari Processing

Changes in the total carotenoid content (TCC) of three yellow root cassava varieties, IBAI070593, IBAI011368, and IBAI070539, and a check white root variety (TMSI30572) as influenced by each gari processing stage were investigated in this study. In two cropping seasons, fresh storage roots were harvested 12 months after planting, analyzed for TCC (μg/g), and processed into gari. The TCCs in grated mash, fermented and dewatered mash, and gari were determined following the Bioanalyt procedure. Across processing stages and varieties, significant variations in TCC were found. The TCC levels followed the order of garification (10.46) > fermentation and dewatering (9.84) > peeling (8.78) > grating (7.62), with IBAI070593 exhibiting the highest TCC.