Natural Resources for Human Health Original Research View Article Online Received 26 October 2021 Revised 22 November 2021 Accepted 29 November 2021 Available online 06 January 2022 Edited by Haipeng Lv KEYWORDS: Meals coconut residue sensory attributes tapioca granules grits Natr Resour Human Health 2022; 2 (2): 200-207 https://doi.org/10.53365/nrfhh/144352 eISSN: 2583-1194 Copyright © 2022 Visagaa Publishing House Fortification of cassava starch with coconut residue: effects on flours’ functional properties and products’ (Tapioca meals) nutritional and sensory qualities Olalekan Jimi Adebowale 1 , * , Oluwasegun Oluwagbenga Ajibode 2 1 Department of Food Technology, P.M.B. 50, Ilaro, Ogun State - 11101, Nigeria. 2 Food Processing/Engineering Workshop, Te Federal Polytechnic, P.M.B. 50, Ilaro, Ogun State - 11101, Nigeria. ABSTRACT: Consumers are show interest in plant-based by-products due to their potential health-promoting properties. Coconut residue is food waste from coconut milk that is potentially rich in bioactive compounds, protein and dietary fibre. Te effects of substituting cassava starch with coconut residue on the functional properties (bulk density, water absorption and swelling indexes), proximate composition, the energy value of flour, and sensory characteristics of tapioca grit’s meal were studied. Cassava starch was mixed with coconut residue powder in five formulations that had 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% of coconut residue powder, before being made into tapioca grits. Te results showed that the bulk density, water absorption and swelling indexes decreased, whilst protein increased with the increasing addition of coconut residue. Te colour of tapioca meals did not have any pronounced change in colour due to added coconut residue. Sensory results showed that tapioca samples fortified with 30% coconut residue was the most preferred with ranking in terms of aroma (8.7), overall acceptability (8.7) and willingness to buy (8.6) compared to other samples. Fortifying cassava starch with food waste like coconut residue improved the protein and fibre contents, and enhanced value addition and food product (tapioca meal) sensory quality. 1. INTRODUCTION Te sustainability and valorization of plant by-products such as coconut residue are of great concern to the stakeholders in the value chain, in respect of its waste-the residue (Bello et al., 2021). However, food loss and waste or by-products have a great impact on the world’s food supply (Amin et al., 2021) . Different agencies and researchers have developed and implemented several initiatives to ameliorate its food waste- the residue. Te United States Environmental Protection Agency identified a food waste hierarchy that prioritises feeding hungry people, feeding animals and industrial uses (Lavenburg et al., 2021). For instance, coconut residue recovered during the coconut oil and/or coconut milk extraction process is a source of valuable nutrients such as proteins, fibre, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc, and vitamins (Alebiosu et al., 2020). Some of these nutrients are principally lacking in most leading staple plant-based diets such as tapioca prepared from cassava starch. Also, coconut residue was reportedly to have health-promoting potentials that could be exploited in the formulation of functional foods because of its diverse nutrients and bioactive compounds (Adeloye et al., 2020; Bello et al., 2021). Terefore, to improve the nutritional composition of a starch-based food product like cassava starch-tapioca, coconut residue could be incorporated because it is rich in proteins and several micronutrients that are deficient in tapioca (100% cassava starch). Consumption of tapioca meal has spread beyond the shores of Nigeria to West African sub-regions including the Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana. Tapioca grits can be prepared by the roasting of dried cassava starch leading to its incomplete hydrolysis and gelatinization (Samuel et al., 2012). Tapioca meal can be prepared after conditioning the grits for nearly 6 hours, to soften the grits before cooking to form a gel-like viscous mass. Prolong consumption of starchy food products has been of great concern by virtue that, it can lead to ’hidden hunger (dietary micronutrient deficiency) and protein-energy malnutrition (Buzigi et al., 2020). Te sub-Saharan Africa region is persistently facing the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition (Delight et al., 2021), notably as under-nutrition and hunger affect the health status of the inhabitants. Te COVID-19 pandemic attributed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) (Buys et al., 2020), further aggravated undernutrition and hunger, mostly in lower- * Corresponding author. E-mail address: olalekan.adebowale@federalpolyilaro.edu.ng (Olalekan Jimi Adebowale) Tis is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).