Cassava products are used in various
forms for human consumption, livestock feed, and manufacturing of industrial
products (Ene, 1992). Cassava contains about 92.2 percent carbohydrates and 3.2
percent protein in its dry matter, and is said to have high energy content.
According to IITA (1990) cassava products are also important feed stuff for livestock
feed formulation. For example, cassava has a capacity of substituting up to 44
percent maize in pig feed without any reduction in the performance of pigs.
Okeke (1998) also observed that in compounding feed for pigs, broilers, pullets
and layers, cassava meal
plays a significant role. Eagleston et al (1992)
provided evidence that the whole cassava plant, boiled root, root meal, chips and pellets could be used in
compounding livestock feed. The roots could be dried, ground and fed to
ruminants and it could be used as substitutes for maize in poultry feed.
Furthermore, cassava starch, cassava
flour, cassava juice and fermented cassava are now used in industries (Terry et
al, 1983; Ene, 1992; Olomu, 1995). For instance, cassava starch is used in
making products such as biscuits, bread and derivatives such as sagos and
sauce. Cassava starch has also been industrially modified to provide products
with physical and chemical properties for specific applications, including the
preparation of jelly, thickening agents, gravies, custard powders, baby food,
glucose and confectioneries (Ene, 1992).
Apart from being
used in variety of paste products such as spaghetti and macaroni, cassava flour
has been identified to be useful in the manufacture of cassava beer in the
brewery industry (Olomu, 1995). In addition, Terry et al (1983) noted
that since the rapid escalation of energy cost, especially liquid fuel prices,
considerable attention has been given to
as a source of ethanol with particular example in Brazil, where enormous
effort had been put into production of alcohol using sugarcane and as biological resources.