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Cassava is a starchy crop with several industrial applications, but it deteriorates very fast after harvest. Refrigeration has been used to extend the storage life of the root and the starch isolated from the stored roots characterized. Hence, the purpose of this research is to investigate the chemical, functional, pasting and sensory properties of custard prepared from starch isolated from refrigerated cassava root.

Freshly harvest cassava root were cleaned and stored in a refrigerator operating at 4 °C for a period of one, two and three weeks. Starch was extracted from the fresh and stored roots using established method and custard prepared from each of the starch sample. The custard sample was analysed for amylose content, functional, pasting and sensory properties.

Amylose content in the pastes varied significantly from 18.45 to 25.45%. Refrigeration showed a significant impact on the swelling power of the custard, which could be linked to variation in amylose content. Colour and textural properties of the custard were similar across the samples suggesting a minimal impact of refrigeration on the isolated starch. Refrigerated cassava roots can produce acceptable custard with minimal changes in sensory properties if the storage period is closely monitored.

In a previous study, the authors have shown that starch and cooked paste may be made from stored cassava roots without substantial changes in the quality of these products. This study further confirms the possibility of using starch from the stored roots in food applications such as in custard formulation. No report has documented the properties of custard from starch obtained from refrigerated cassava root.