Effect of Temperature and Air Velocity on the Drying Kinetics and Nutritional Properties of Flours from Three Varieties of Sweet Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)

The drying kinetics of three varieties of cassava were evaluated in a tray dryer, using a completely randomized design with a three-factor factorial arrangement: temperature (50, 60, and 70 °C), air velocity (1, 2, and 3 m/s), and variety (“Blanca Mona”, “Ica Negrita”, “Venezolana”), with three replicates per treatment. The results obtained were used to construct drying curves, which showed that this process occurred in the decreasing period. The drying curves were adjusted to mathematical models, and the Page model was the best fit to the experimental data with R2adj values closer to 1 and RSS values less than 0.0086. The effective diffusivities (Deff) in cassava flours were represented by the Arrhenius equation with values ranging from 5.24 × 10−10 to 1.58 × 10−9 m2/s. The activation energy (Ea) recorded values between 20.34 and 28.32 kJ/mol. The flours from the three cassava varieties were obtained under the best drying conditions (70 °C and 3 m/s). The physicochemical characterization of fresh roots and flours from three cassava varieties revealed significant genotype-dependent differences in their proximal composition. Blanca Mona exhibited the highest ash content and the lowest total carbohydrates among fresh roots, while Ica Negrita stood out for its superior crude fiber content in flour. Venezolana flour stood out for its higher protein content (3.86 ± 0.04 g/100 g) and significant fiber content (1.39 ± 0.39 g/100 g), making it the flour with the best nutritional profile and greatest potential for food applications. Therefore, tray drying is recommended as one of the suitable methods for cassava flour production.