LAUSR

Abstract Fresh cassava is highly susceptible to rapid post-harvest physiological deterioration due to the high water activity. Therefore, foam mat drying was considered as an alternative drying technique for preservation. The drying kinetics of white-fleshed cassava foam (air volume fraction = 0.26, overrun = 36.0 %) and yellow-fleshed cassava foam (air volume fraction = 0.24, overrun = 32.2 %) were studied. The influence of temperature and foam thickness on moisture removal ratio (MR), drying rate, diffusivity and some important physicochemical properties of the cassava foams (CSF) during drying were researched and compared with those of non-foamed cassava pulp (NFP). The cassava foams were dried to foam powders at temperatures of 50 °C, 65 °C and 80 °C and foam thicknesses of 6 mm, 8 mm and 10 mm. The CSF exhibited two falling rates. The CSF powders had significantly lower total cyanogenic glucosides content compared to the NFP powder, and a high retention of total carotenoids. The dry foam powders had higher lightness/luminosity (L*) values than dry pulp powders. Micrographs revealed interactions between starch granules and the hydrocolloids but microstructure was not affected by increasing temperatures.