The effects of simple processing on the cyanide content of cassava chips

Abstract

SummaryThe changes in concentration of free cyanide (non‐glycosidic) and bound cyanide (cyanogenic glucosides) in fresh cassava chips during dehydration, boiling or soaking in water were studied. All of these processes rapidly removed free cyanide from the chips, but only 8–12% of the total cyanide is present as free cyanide. Air‐drying at four different temperatures showed that 29% of the bound cyanide was removed by drying at 46.5°C; smaller losses were recorded at the higher temperatures. Boiling chips for 25 min removed 55% of the bound cyanide, all of which could be accounted for in the boiling water. Stirring in cold water was ineffective (< 5% loss after 4 hr) for short periods, but cyanide losses increased after longer periods (50% loss after 18 hr) probably because of the onset of fermentation. These decreases in total cyanide content are smaller than indicated by earlier workers.