PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY OF PUPURU: A SURVEY OF PRACTICES AND PRODUCTION QUALITY IN THE SOUTH WEST OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper reports a traditional processing technology for the production of a smoked fermented cassava product called pupuru in the south west of Nigeria. The study used a rapid rural appraisal (RRA) technique while a total of four focus group discussions and thirty-one personal interviews with processors were conducted. Fermented cassava mash was pressed, moulded into balls and smoke-dried to produce pupuru. This method require simple facilities and low capital  investment and can be reproduced anywhere. Smoking reduced the cyanogenic potential in the dried balls to 2 –33mg HCN equivalent/kg.  However, roasted flour samples made from dried balls had much lower moisture (9-25%) and cyanogen (0-7mg HCN equivalent/kg) levels. The method of constructing the smoking outfit causes slow and inefficient drying. Other constraints of the technology were identified while possible areas for upgrading were discussed.