Enhancing Cassava Root Storage Stability and Quality Using Innovative CB4G Bags: A Possible Pathway to Reduced Postharvest Losses and Improved Food Security
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jnsrr/V2E5/2026-03Keywords:
Cassava root, CB4G, Postharvest Loss, Food and Nutrition SecurityAbstract
Cassava, a vital agricultural crop in sub-Saharan Africa, holds significance as both a subsistence and cash crop. Its cultivation and consumption are widespread across the continent. Beyond direct consumption, cassava and its derivative, starch, plays a pivotal role as a raw material for consumables, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products, including confectionery, sweeteners, textiles, paper, biodegradable goods, animal feed and bioethanol, However, the potential of cassava is hampered by its rapid postharvest deterioration, commencing shortly after harvest. This limits its shelf life, leading to substantial postharvest losses and adversely affecting market quality and product starch yield. The adoption of innovative materials capable of mitigating the extent of cassava tuber deterioration following harvest would be a valuable solution for producers and processors. This research focuses on evaluating the nutritional quality and storage stability of cassava roots stored for seven days using the cassava bag for garri (CB4G) approach, a product developed by the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom. Specifically, cassava roots of the TME 419 variety were meticulously harvested and stored in CB4G bags for a week. Parameters such as weight loss, temperature, pH, humidity, colour alterations, and nutritional indicators (reflecting stability and quality) were assessed at intervals of day 1 (control), 3, 5, and 7.). The findings revealed that postharvest deterioration became noticeable after day 5 inferring that cassava roots can be effectively stored in CB4G for up to five days, maintaining satisfactory quality and minimizing postharvest losses. This approach thus, facilitates easy transportation and alleviates pressures faced by farmers and processors of cassava thereby, bolstering the food and nutrition security of cassava roots.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Godwin Akpehe , Sylvester Obaike Adejo, Barnabas Achakpa Ikyo, Ogbene Gillian Igbum, Francis Igbua, Augustina Iorbee, Ben Bennett, Aditya Parmar (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
