Technological and nutritional properties of amaranth-fortified yellow cassava pasta

Yellow cassava is an affordable starting material to design a healthy food, having high β-carotene content. White and yellow cassava functional pasta were fortified with 50 g/kg (w/w) amaranth dry leaf powder and analyzed to evaluate the impact of cultivar difference, processing, and addition of amaranth leaf powder on the physicochemical, functional, pasting, antioxidant, and cooking properties of the white and yellow cassava pasta samples. Significant differences were observed among the cassava pasta samples. Leaf powder addition significantly enhanced the dietary fiber (7.6-9.1 g/100 g) and protein (1.41-4.69 g/100 g) contents of formulated cassava pasta. Yellow cassava-amaranth pasta had higher β-carotene (2.07 µg/g), iron (59 mg/kg), and zinc (9 mg/kg) contents than the white cassava-amaranth pasta. The addition of amaranth leaf powder also enhanced the antioxidant capacities of pasta products. Cooking time and gruel solid loss were reduced upon the addition of amaranth leaf powder, which is beneficial to the consumers. Data showed the potential of amaranth-fortified yellow cassava pasta in contributing to a healthy diet in low- and middle-income countries by combining a biofortified crop with leafy vegetables via food-to-food fortification. Practical Application: This work demonstrates the feasibility of a cassava-based pasta fortified with amaranth vegetables as an affordable and nutritious food to benefit micronutrient deficient consumers in countries with high cassava consumption but low vegetable intake. The inclusion of amaranth leaf powder enhanced the developed pasta's nutritional and technological properties, thus presenting a healthy food choice with the potentials for scaling up commercially.