Quality evaluation of Gari from cassava substituted with blended Colocasia esculenta and Xanthosoma sagittifolium for enhanced food security

The increasing use of cassava for various products, combined with its overreliance on gari processing, has created a volatile supply chain that results in skyrocketing gari prices, making the staple food unaffordable. The partial replacement of cassava with Colocasia esculenta and Xanthosoma sagittifolium can foster food diversification and security. The two varieties of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta, Xanthosoma sagittifolium) were mixed (1:1). The cassava and cocoyam blends were mixed at different substitution ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, and 0:100, w/w), processed into a mash, fermented, dewatered, and roasted to produce gari samples. The gari samples were analysed for proximate, functional, antinutritional components, and sensory acceptability. The results had protein (1.02–4.61%), ash (0.75–2.57%), and fiber (2.02–2.20%) levels increasing as the proportion of cocoyam increased, whilecarbohydrate slightly decreased (82.33–88.25%). Physicochemical properties of the gari, such as water absorption (2.07–4.57 g/g), swelling capacity (5.69–8.00%), and bulk density (0.46–0.59 g/ml) increased across the various blends with an increase in cocoyam. Sensory analysis showed that the 80:20 cassava-to-cocoyam blend had the highest overall acceptability score. This revealed the potential of cocoyam as a valuable yet underutilized ingredient that can enhance the production of gari and promote the diverse use of roots and tubers for sustainable food security