Nutritional Value and Superiority of Yellow-Flesh Cassava Tuber Product

Abstract

Cassava became the most important root crop in the tropical Africa, is the most advanced component of root and tuber crops production in Nigeria. More than 10 million smallholders grow cassava and over 50 million people earn their living directly or indirectly from it. Consumption of yellow gari in many households of Nigeria has become traditionally acceptable table diet because of it richness in vitamin A content that reduces the effect of vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency has affected 20% of pregnant women, 13% of nursing mothers and 30 % of children under 5 years. This study emphasized nutritional composition of a food sample (yellow eba) such as carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals and a good source of energy using proximate analysis. The findings revealed that 2.1 % protein, 0.5 % fat, 0.4 % fibre contained in the sample. Almost 19.0 % carbohydrate with adequate proportion of minerals contents present for our healthy growth. The high beta-carotene (131.25±0.79 µg/g) and vitamin A (21.88±0.13 µg/g) in the sample is a reflection that yellow eba supplies appreciable and significant amount of intake of bio-available vitamin A. consuming yellow eba provides a number of desirable nutritional and health benefits such as vitamin A which reduces effects of vitamin A deficiency for human well - being. However, alternative and more favorable policy that would negate more devastating effects of the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) is expected to protect food production and food security.