Physicochemical data, for raw and boiled cassava, at INRAE Avignon, France

This document presents the results of physicochemical analyses conducted on eight cassava varieties with contrasting textural properties. Cassava, a staple crop essential for food security in rural Africa, is a major source of carbohydrates. However, improving its post-cooking textural properties is crucial to meet the expectations of both consumers and industries. In this context, the RTBfoods project aims to develop sustainable and optimized cassava varieties for the food industry. The analyses focus on extraction yields, including dry matter (DM), YAIS (non-destarched AIS), and Ydes (destarching yield), as well as starch composition before and after destarching (residual). Measurements include the levels of neutral sugars, galacturonic acid, methanol, lignin, non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), and degree of methylation (MD), along with enzymatic activities of polygalacturonases (PG) and pectin-methylesterases (PME). The results indicate that post-cooking texture is influenced by pectin solubilization, hemicellulose degradation, and interactions between starch and cell wall polysaccharides. The main objective is to understand the physicochemical mechanisms responsible for textural variations and to develop tools such as MID-IR spectroscopy for rapid, non-destructive quality assessment. This knowledge will support breeding programs to produce cassava varieties with improved textural properties, meeting both consumer and industrial requirements.