NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF PRO -VITAMIN A RICH GARI PRODUCED FROM EDIBLETRIFOLIATE YAM (Dioscorea dumetorum)
Rasping, dewatering, 24 h fermentation, pulverization, sifting and thermal dehydration (garification) processeswere used to produce a breakfast food product from the peeled tubers of a yellow fleshed cultivar of trifoliate yam (Dioscorea dumetorum) that physically resembled cassava gari (garri). In addition to relevant microbiological and chemical analyses, a qualitative biological assessmentwith guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) was carried out. Results showed that prior to the thermal processing,operation, 24 h fermentation of the yam mash gave pH of 3.98 at 33.2QC. Lactic acid bacteria (Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus species) were identified as the probable fermentative microorganisms. Furthermore, no pathogenic microorganism was found before and after thermal processing ("garification").
