ABSTRACT
Cassava, also known as tapioca or manioc, is one of the major tuber crops grown in more than 80 countries of the humid tropics. It is a high energy food obtained with low inputs and little effort. To the people in the tropics it is either a main or a secondary staple food. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) food balance sheet for 1975 to 1977, 65% of the total cassava production goes for human consumption and the rest goes for animal feed and industrial uses. Starch continues as the major industrial produce from cassava. Though cassava starch possesses a superior property of bland taste, it has not found much use in the food industry. Cassava is being considered as one of the raw materials for the production of alcohol. An enormous quantity of alcohol is also required for the production of a variety of chemicals, such as cellulose triacetate, vinyl acetate, PVC, styrene, and polystyrene.
