Cyanogenic potential of randomly sampled fresh and processed cassava on retail sale in Singapore

• Published in: International journal of food science & technology 2022-01, Vol.57 (1), p.533-540
• Main Authors: O'Brien, Gerard M., Lim, Boon Jin, Ong, Yi Lin, Toh, Kian Han, Sim, Cong Shan, Koh, Rose
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cassava; chilled; Cooling; cyanide cyanogens; Flour; fresh; Parenchyma; products Singapore; Roots; toxicity
• ISSN: 0950-5423; 1365-2621
• DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.15175

Summary A random sample of fresh cassava roots and cassava products, purchased at various retail outlets in Singapore during 2016–2017, had total cyanogenic potential (CNp–expressed as mean ± standard deviation, mg kg−1 HCN, fresh weight basis) as follows: fresh roots (n = 66) from three SE Asian countries, 59.0 ± 19.2; peeled chilled root pieces from Malaysia (20 × 1‐kg packs), 38.5 ± 16.5; cassava flour from Indonesia (8 × 1‐kg packs), 11.7 ± 8.2; dried Indonesian chips for home frying (5 × 250 g packs), 61.6 ± 16.5; one pack (120 g) of Malaysian ready‐to‐eat (RTE) chips, 17.1 ± 3.2. CNp in all flour and RTE chips was below 20 mg kg−1. The majority of fresh roots (59.1%) and packs of dried chips (80%), and 15% of packs of peeled chilled root parenchyma, exceeded the Codex Alimentarius limit (50 mg kg−1) for ‘sweet’ (boil‐and‐eat) cassava. Total cyanogenic potential (mg kg−1 as HCN, fresh weight basis) of 22 randomly‐purchased Malaysian cassava roots (each column represents an individual cassava root). Of this subsample, 17 roots (77.3%) exceeded the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius limit (50 mg kg−1) for “sweet” (boil‐and‐eat) cassava.