Production, Proximate Compositions and Dry Matters of Stored <i>achicha</i> and <i>mpoto - </i>Cocoyam Based Products

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The production, proximate compositions and dry matters of stored <i>Achicha</i> and <i>Mpoto</i> were conducted. Fresh cocoyam corms/cormels and leaves [<i>ede ofe </i>(NCE 002), <i>cocoindia </i>(NCE 001) and ukpong/<i>anampu </i>(NCE 004)] were obtained from National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. A-5 kg cocoyam corms/cormels of the samples was sorted, washed and boiled for 3 hours and was cooled, peeled and cut into small sizes of average of 2.0 cm by 1.5 cm dimension with a sharp kitchen knife. They were spread on a mat and dried under the sun for 5 days. The dried cocoyam corms/cormels (<i>achicha</i>) were pulverized before storage with a locally fabricated machine and stored in various plastic containers for 0, 1, 2, 3 months intervals. A sample of 300 g of cocoyam leaves were plucked, sorted, washed, spread on a mat and sun-dried for 3 days. The dried cocoyam leaves (<i>mpoto</i>) were pulverized before storage with a locally fabricated machine and stored in various plastic containers for 0, 1, 2, 3 months. The proximate compositions and dry matters of 3 different varieties of 4 samples of stored <i>Achicha</i> and <i>Mpoto </i>were determined. The results of stored <i>Achicha</i> showed that <i>Edeofe</i> had the least contents in moisture (12.33%) and <i>Anampu</i> had least contents in crude fibre (1.64%) and carbohydrate content (75.65%); <i>Edeofe</i> had the highest contents in ash (3.83%), crude protein (4.78%), crude fat (0.93%), and <i>Cocoindia</i> had the highest contents of dry matter (87.79%) after 3 months storage. The proximate compositions of stored <i>Mpoto</i> showed that <i>Edeofe</i> had the least moisture content (10.16%), <i>Anampu</i> had the highest contents in ash (14.92%), <i>Edeofe</i> had the highest contents in crude protein (15.19%), crude fat (0.89%), crude fibre (8.74%), dry matters (89.85%); and <i>Cocoindian</i> had highest carbohydrate content (51.08%) after 3 months storage. This showed that stored <i>Mpoto</i> samples were richer in ash, crude protein, crude fibre and dry matters than the stored <i>Achicha</i> samples which were richer in moisture, crude fat and carbohydrate contents. It is recommendable to use the tuber and the leaves in food preparations for human consumption.