Effects of Cassava Leaves Detoxification Processes on the Physicochemical and Sensory Qualities of Saka Saka

Cassava is a worldwide major source of food and energy, particularly in the countries of South America, Africa, and Asia. In Central Africa, saka saka is a major cassava leaf based dish. Because of their high toxicity due to cyanogen they contain, cassava leaves are diversely treated to prevent consumer intoxication. This work consisted in evaluating the main and interaction effects of three detoxification processes, washing, drying and bicarbonate treatment, on the quality of saka saka. For this purpose, the detoxification of the cassava leaves was performed following a complete factorial design of experiment. The treated material was used to prepare the saka saka dish which some physicochemical and sensual quality characteristics have been evaluated. The results have been treated by Analysis of Variance at 5% significance level. The results showed that the bicarbonate treatment is the most efficient method to reduce the cyanogen content in the cassava leaves. All the three factors and their combinations have significant effects on the leaf pH, lipids, ash and cyanide content and saka saka odor, color and taste. The combination of washing and drying is the most interesting as it is efficient, produces the most enjoyed dish and doesn’t use chemical that can induce adverse effects to consumer.