Production and Nutrient Composition of Fufu Made From a Mixture of Cassava and Cowpea Flours

Abstract

High consumption of cassava products such as cassava fufu characterize the food habits of rural dwellers. Although cassava roots are rich in calories, they are grossly deficient in proteins, fats, and some minerals and vitamins. The nutritional hazard of cassava dependency includes chronic protein deficiency. Research toward the enrichment of cassava fufu is needed, especially for children under 5 years. This study aims to develop fufu from flours of fermented cassava and cowpea, evaluate the new cassava–cowpea fufu produced using sensory evaluation procedures, and determine their micronutrient content. Three cassava–cowpea flours BZC, FZC, and FIC were obtained. Cassava–cowpea fufu BZC was produced from cowpea seeds that were first boiled and then fermented for 2 days (48 hours). Cassava–cowpea fufu FZC was made from cowpea seeds that went through 2 days (48 hours) of fermentation, and cassava–cowpea fufu FIC was produced from cowpea seeds that were soaked for one day (24 hours). These cassava–cowpea fufus were evaluated using sensory methods and then sent to the laboratory for the determination of calcium, iron, and zinc using standard procedures. Data were analyzed using evaluation scores that were rated according to the level of acceptance or rejection of the cassava–cowpea fufu. BZC cassava–cowpea fufu was the cassava–cowpea fufu of choice and it had a higher protein content of 4.92 g than control cassava fufu FFF (0.47 g). It also had higher calcium, iron, and zinc content (79.47, 1.09, and 0.82 mg, respectively) compared to cassava fufu FFF, which had calcium, iron, and zinc values of 75.64, 0.39, and 0.19 mg, respectively. The cassava–cowpea fufu contained significantly higher amounts of protein and micronutrients than the commonly consumed cassava fufu. The addition of cowpea to cassava fufu will improve nutrition derived from cassava consumption among young children in rural areas who depend on monotonous cassava meals. This study has shown that cassava fufu can be enriched with cowpea to increase its protein and micronutrients content.