Analysis of bacterial diversity during the retting of cassava for fufu production

Cassava (Manihot esculanta) is an important root crop that significantly contributes to food security, especially in Africa. Cassava is processed into edible foods such as fufu (a submerged fermented gruel). Fufu is a staple food in Eastern and Western Africa. Despite its widespread consumption and acceptability, there is a paucity of data on the diversity of the microbiota involved in fermentation (retting). The present study determined the microbial diversity of cassava retting for fufu production in laboratory-prepared samples. A total of eight bacteria species comprising Enterobacter asburiae, Providencia vermicola, Klebsiella pneumonia, Citrobacter sp, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum were implicated. pH decreased from 5.8 to 3.0 while temperature increased from 35 – 45 0C. Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum dominated the fermentation process. There’s a need for a more robust study to characterize microbial communities during fufu production to determine functional species that could improve quality and ensure safety.