Yam physic-chemical parameters assessment and its bread sensory attributes for corporate agribusiness boosting

Abstract

A research work entitled: “Yam physico-chemical parameters assessment and its bread sensory attributes.” was carried out in the laboratory of INES-Ruhengeri for adding value to local yam called Dioscorea spp. The main objective was to assess physico-chemical parameters of fresh yam tubers and sensory attributes of produced bread from yam fermented flour. A sample size of 10kg of each Dioscorea variety as fresh crude yam tubers was brought from Musanze market to INES laboratory for chemical analysis, fermentation and bread processing. Physico-chemical parameters analyzed in fresh crude yam tubers included moisture content, pH, nutrient content and sensory evaluation of yam bread. The results showed that fresh crude yam tubers moisture content ranged from 75 to 77%. This moisture content is favoring yam tubers spoilage and there is a need to process fresh yams into bread for adding value. The yielded fermented yam flour ranged from 18 to 20% from crude yam tubers. The dried and fermented yam flour moisture content was around 13% and met the standards, while pH was around neutral (from 6.66 to 6.72) leading to tubers deterioration. The flour had a dark-brown color from enzymatic browning occurring during fermentation process. According to Hedonic scale, the overall acceptability of yam breads was good with mean sensory scores ranging from 7.33 to 7.83 over 9 emitted by trained panelists. Fermented yam flour with Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae followed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae used in yam bread making was considered nutritious by panelists. Hence, the processed yam bread is a good source of nutrients including carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals and probiotics. The use of fermented yam flour in bread making is advantageous due to increased nutritional value and reduced rate of staling. Adding value to fresh yam tubers can lead to income generation and enhanced shelf life of new developed yam bread. It is therefore recommended to promote yam cultivation and processing of tubers at industrial level for food security and sustainability.