DG Presentation at NISER on Prospects and Challenges of cassava bread

The Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) pioneered R&D work on composite flours production from cereals, legumes and tubers way back in the “60s with the sole objective of reducing to an extent the importation of wheat into the country.
Major crops worked on for composite flour production include; cassava, sorghum, millet, rice and soybean.
With each of these crops, different levels or percentages of substitution or inclusion were experimented with and the results were very encouraging.

FIIRO has been in the forefront of the use of Cassava for various food products as far back as the 60’s.
FIIRO has been in the forefront of the use of cassava for various food products as far back as the 60’s.

In 1964, a composite flour programme was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations which President Shehu Shagari’s administration keyed into.

This programme was conceived as an intervention by FAO primarily to reduce importation bills on wheat for developing countries by stimulating local production and processing of non-wheat flour(s) to be incorporated into wheat flour.

FIIRO was identified as one of the centres of  excellence for composite flour and was funded.

This programme gave rise to the constitution of a National Composite Flour Technology Committee which operated from FIIRO.

The Composite Flour Research work in FIIRO culminated in the first production of 10% Cassava/Wheat Bread which was presented to the Federal Executive Council, under the administration of President Shehu Shagari, GCFR in 1982.

It was an elaborate ceremony which all members of the then cabinet had a good time eating Cassava/Wheat bread and other confectioneries made from Cassava-wheat composite flour.

It is on record that in 1984, the Federal Government of Nigeria mandated the use of cassava flour for bread making. Unfortunately, the policy faded with the administration. This development killed the morale of all the stakeholders in the business. Cassava growers lost interest in cultivation due to lack of industrial demand, as there were very few cassava processors. Fabricators shifted their emphasis to other equipment.
Work on cassava flour and its utilization was then limited or restricted to research and development laboratories. Research work on cassava/wheat bread continued as expected and experiments have been taken up to 100% of cassava flour for confectionaries.

Research results have shown that High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) can be incorporated into wheat flour for bread making at different levels of substitution.

However, 10-20% was considered most acceptable for bread making being the level at which no noticeable difference can be detected between bread made from 100% wheat flour, while 15-40% is acceptable for confectioneries and other baked products.

Research results have shown that High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) can be incorporated into wheat flour for bread making at different levels of substitution.

However, 10-20% was considered most acceptable for bread making being the level at which no noticeable difference can be detected between bread made from 100% wheat flour, while 15-40% is acceptable for confectioneries and other baked products.