ABSTRACT
The increase in nutrition awareness of people living in sub-Saharan Africa has led to an increase in the consumer acceptability and utilization of yellow flesh cassava. However, of equal or greater importance for nutrition impact is the retention of carotenoids and their bioavailability in the body after processing into the products. During processing, the product is exposed to some heat treatment, which can affect carotene concentration and availability. Considerable losses in carotene that occur during and/or after processing arise from thermally mediated isomerization and oxidation (Chandler and Schwartz, 1987; 1988; Schwartz, 1989; Van der pol et al., 1988). Differences in sequestration and intracellular localization of carotenoids in the tissue may be crucial factors in the susceptibility of these pigments to trans-cis isomerization and oxidation (Borsarelli and Mercadante 2009). Additionally, when the crop tissues are disrupted by cutting, chopping, shredding, cooking or natural ageing these physical barriers are affected, thus rendering the carotenoids open to exposure to oxygen and oxidizing enzymes (Britton and Khachik, 2009).
