Akara or Koose is a nutritious deep-fried cowpea-based snack commonly consumed in West African sub-regions like Nigeria, Ghana and the Republic of Benin. However, the unhealthy cooking practices and the uncontrolled frying temperatures had resulted into high uptake of excessive oil, making it high in fat and calories. Repeatedly using of heated frying oil can result to oil degradation and formation of harmful compounds such as trans-fatty acids, acrylamide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Olusola & Ajibade, 2022). Frequent consumption of large quantities of akara can contribute to weight gain and health-related challenges including obesity and high cholesterol levels. Cowpea flour (CF) substitution with high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) could reduce oil uptake of akaraif made into chips. This work investigated if the high oil content akarain chips form could be reduced by substituting cowpea with HQCF, with the aim of enhancing consumer’s acceptability. Materials and methods Cassava roots, cowpea seeds, edible salt, onions andpepperwere purchased from a retail market in Ilaro, Ogun State, Nigeria. The roots and seeds wereprocessed into HQCF and CF respectively. CF was substituted with HQCF (30-60%), 100%CF was used as control. Consumer acceptability test of akara chips was conducted with untrained panellists. Results and discussion Akara chips coded as 60C:40H had the highest significant (p<0.05) scoresin appearance, colour, taste, crunchiness and overall acceptability. The crunchy nature of the chips could be associated to the reduction inoil content of samples (Olusola & Ajibade, 2022). Thethick crust formed on the chips perhaps by HQCF helped to retain moisture andprevent oil absorption during frying (Oke et al., 2022). Sample 60C:40Hhas the highest preference with overall acceptability score of 4.4 out of 5.0 of the hedonic scale (Figure 1). Therefore, cowpea-HQCF blends can be used to develop akara chips with improvementsin the sensory quality and high consumer acceptance. Conclusion Cowpea-HQCF composites can transform akara snacks into chips. There was a significant reduction in the oil content of the chips. Formation of thick crusts on the chipsby HQCF and the high-water absorption of HQCF helps to retain moisture andprevent oil absorption. The frying oil reusable must not more than twice to avoid oxidation of the oil that may cause off-flavor, off-odour and darkening of the chips. Sample 60C:40Hhas the highest preference with overall acceptability score of 4.4 out of 5.0 scale. Therefore, cowpea-HQCF blends can be used to develop akara chips with improvementsin the sensory quality and higher consumer acceptance. Keywords: High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF), Cassava Flour (CF), Akara chips
Bashiru I. Ogunbiyi Olalekan J. Adebowale