Cashew fruit: adding value for food security

Abstract

The project sought to develop highly nutritious food products from cashew fruits which would be accepted by consumers. To achieve this aim, two methods, using Gelatin or High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) were used to reduce tannin levels in the fruit. HQCF reduced tannin by 69.5% whiles Gelatin reduced tannin by 57.7%. Three products (cashew apple-enriched cereal, dried cashew apple snack, cashew apple juice) were developed from cashew fruits and assessed for nutritional and microbial properties as well as consumer acceptability. The products were all within acceptable microbial limits (aerobic plate count, coliforms, yeasts and moulds, E. coli) set by the Ghana Standards Authority after formulation and after storage for 6 months. The dried cashew apple snack contained about 700% more of Vitamin C as compared to the same weight of fresh fruit. The cashew-enriched cereal containing sugar and gelatin-treated fruits was the most accepted product formulated. This was followed by Gelatin-treated 100°C for 3 minutes pasteurized cashew juice. The least accepted cashew apple product was the Gelatin-treated dried cashew fruits. 19.2% solids, using maltodextrin as the carrying agent was found as the ideal lower limit for juice dehydration by spray drying. Several stakeholders like farmers, entrepreneurs and government representatives were educated on the potential of cashew fruits as a source of income for farmers and alternative food source for Vitamin C