Effect of Treatments on the Quality Evaluation of Cocoyam Crisps and Chips

Cocoyam (Colocasia esculental) was processed and used in the production of crisps and chips by subjecting the peeled, washed and sliced cocoyam to four different pretreatments (plain-untreated, salted, sugared, salted/sugared). The proximate properties and sensory attributes of the crisps and chips were evaluated using plantain chips as the control. Proximate composition result showed that moisture, ash, fibre, fat, protein, fibre, fat and carbohydrate content of the cocoyam crisps ranged from 3.26 – 4.12% (samples A3 and A), 1.69 – 3.05% (A and A3), 6.15 – 9.47% (A and A3), 2.75 – 10.35% (A2 and A1), 9.25 – 11.76% (A2 and A) and 65.15 – 72.78% (samples A1 and A2), respectively. While result for cocoyam chips ranged from 4.17 – 9.55% (samples B1 and B), 2.93 – 4.62% (B and B2), 8.36 – 12.74% (B1 and B2), 2.21 – 7.55% (B3 and B1), 9.17 – 10.87% (B2 and B1) and 60.77 – 66.42% (samples B2 and B3), respectively. From the result, it was observed that moisture, ash, fat and carbohydrate values of plantain chips compared significantly (P<0.05) with some samples of cocoyam crisps and chips with the values of 4.51%, 2.62, 9.80 and 75.52%, respectively. Significantly low protein and fibre content of plantain chips was recorded (4.39 and 3.16%, respectively) compare to the values of crisps and chips produced from cocoyam. Sensory scores obtained from the parameters evaluated showed that both pretreated and untreated cocoyam crisps and chips were acceptable by the panelists compared to the control sample (plantain chips). Highest overall acceptability scores were recorded from samples A1, A2 and B3 (7.20, 7.40 and 7.30, respectively). This result is an indication that cocoyam can be pretreated with either salt, sugar or a combination of both and used in the production of crisps and chips with high level of market acceptability which will still provide proximate compositions comparable with that of plantain chips