The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) in Thiruvananthapuram has licensed its technology for making fried snack foods from cassava to the firm Sugam Organics, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research reports.

The agreement was signed on 28 September by Suganthi A., proprietor of Sugam Organics, and Dr G. Byju, director of ICAR-CTCRI.

Under the licence, the company will use the institute's process to produce fried snacks from tapioca, as cassava is widely known in Kerala. It will source the tubers itself and handle processing and preparation, with a focus on products made without artificial colours or unnecessary chemical additives.

Cassava is an important tropical tuber, grown and eaten as a staple in several regions, and a source of carbohydrates that also contains minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium, along with dietary fibre, the institute notes. Its versatility makes it suitable for a range of value-added foods.

Licensing processing technology to small firms is one of the ways public research institutes try to create new markets for farm produce; for cassava growers, snack manufacturing adds a buyer for their tubers beyond the fresh market.

Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: ICAR