Gari consists of granulated cassava particles, which have been fermented and then partially gelatinized by roasting. Gari is very widely consumed in West Africa due to its high energy value, affordable price and long shelf life. The manner in which roasting is done strongly impacts the gari acceptability and its sale price. Our study investigated the impact on gari quality of process parameters adopted by the operators during the roasting stage of various mashes, with a view toward recommending technological improvements to this operation. In order to meet this objective, various products were produced from fermentation/pressing/sieving operations either performed conventionally, or conversely deliberately non-optimally. To emphasize the twin impact of roasting parameters and mash water content, different mashes with varying water content were roasted leading to different adjustments of the roasting conditions according to the operators. Two operators performed the roasting, one renowned for the excellent quality of gari produced, and one known for achieving high yields. The statistical analysis for eight quality criteria revealed that gari quality is highly influenced by the process parameters adopted by the operators. When the variability of the water content becomes greater, a greater variability in the final quality of the obtained gari was observed between operators (lightness, swelling capacity, starch content, texture and color). These results suggest that technological improvements to the gari process could be achieved by appropriate management of the roasting and dewatering parameters. These findings should help the operators to adapt roasting parameters according to the water content of the mash in order to ensure a safe and good quality of gari.

This work was funded by the CRP-RTB project, and contributes to the objectives of the RTBfoods project on the evaluation of improved cassava varieties in line with quality criteria and the expectations of stakeholders in the value chain.