Beschreibung
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the vital crops in the Tropics. It is a multifunctional crop that is used as food and feed as well as a raw material for the industry. Globally, cassava has been gaining attention, due to its high tolerance and adaptability to bad growing conditions and environmental changes. However, cassava has a short shelf-life and it deteriorates fast after harvesting, thus it should be processed. One of the essential steps in cassava processing is peeling. The peeling of cassava is one of the main processing challenges because of the huge variation in shapes and sizes of the tubers. Considering all the previous efforts, the peeling of cassava needs further research for improvement. Therefore, this study was carried out to explore the potential of enzyme and freeze-thaw pretreatments to improve the peeling process of cassava tubers. This dissertation consists of three main parts, which focus on the potential, investigation and optimization of enzymatic and freeze-thaw pre-treatments to improve the peeling process of cassava tubers. In the first part, the enzymatic treatment of cassava peels was optimized using the response surface methodology. In the second part, the influence of an enzymatic treatment on the mechanical peeling of differently sized cassava tubers was investigated. In the third part, the effect of freeze-thaw pre-treatments on the mechanical peeling process of cassava tubers was evaluated.The results showed that the application of enzyme and freeze-thaw pre-treatments are promising approaches to improve the peeling of cassava tubers. Such approaches enhance peeling performance, improve the well-being of cassava farmers, remove the drudgery and sustain the environment.
