There is need for the hygienic processing of cassava. Prevalent conditions in the commercial grating areas of this staple food show a susceptibility to food contamination. A home-scale cassava grater was improved on in design and fabrication.
Machine efficiency, safety factors, and portability were considered in this research. The grating hopper and drum were modified with the drum having a stainless steel sheet wrapped around a galvanized mild steel core, The machine runs on a single phase one horse power electric motor at a speed of 1440 rpm.
The capacity of the grater fabricated was 158kg/hr and about 50 % reduction in price was achieved.
Introduction:
Cassava originated from Latin America and was later introduced to Asia in the 17th century and to Africa in about 1558. In Nigeria, cassava is mostly grown on small farms, usually intercropped with vegetables, plantation crops, yam, sweet potatoes, melon, maize, etc.
Cassava is propagated by 20–30 cm long cutting of the wood stem, spacing between plants is usually 1-1.5 meters. Intercropping with bean, maize, and other annual crops is practiced in young cassava plantations.
There are two common varieties of cassava, namely, the bitter and sweet varieties. The cyanide content differs as well as suitability for different growing and consumption conditions.
Usually, higher cyanide is correlated to high yields. Nigeria is the world largest producer of cassava tuber in the world, producing about 34 million tonnes of the world’s 174.0 tonnes.
Source: Akamai University
Author: O.R. Adetunji | A.H. Quadri
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