LIPI develops cassava without gluten

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Besides gluten-rich grains and oats, cassava is also one of the foods that contain a lot of such proteins.

Although gluten is useful, it can also be dangerous for some people who have problems with digestion due to the intestinal inability to digest this material.

For those who like consuming cassava either as a staple food or just a snack now, there is no need to worry about eating these tubers because the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has introduced superior variety of Carvita 25.

“The variety contains high beta carotene that is rich in vitamin A and does not contain gluten so it is safe for consumption by people who have gluten allergies,” LIPI Biotechnology Research Center researcher Ahmad Fathoni explained on the LIPI website as quoted in Jakarta on Sunday.

According to him, each type of cassava has different characteristics and potential uses.

“Maintaining cassava genetic resources both in the field and tissue culture is very important in developing cassava, especially to improve genetic quality,” Fathoni said.

He added that in addition to developing superior cassava seeds, the LIPI Biotechnology Research Center has also developed the processing technology of cassava into mocaf (modified cassava flour) or cassava flour rich in beta carotene.

“Mocaf products which are rich in beta carotene and produced from superior LIPI cassava have a quality that has been proven to be better than most mocafs on the market,” he said.

Fathoni expressed hope that cassava flour from LIPI can increase the added value of cassava as it was expected to improve the welfare of farmers, processors and industrial businesses that use these products.

Reporting by Indonesia Window