Yam Flour Production

Muhammed Alhassan

Yam flour is highly recommended for people with diabetes. It contains a low glycemic index that will help avoid a rapid increase in glucose level. Due to the ability to digest and absorb carbohydrates in the Amala slowly, it doesn't cause any sudden increase in blood sugar/ insulin levels.

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Yam flour
Source: www.chowmart.com.ng

Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae). These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania. There are many cultivars of yam though only six are important as staples in the tropics. The economically important species grown are Dioscorea rotundata (white yam), Dioscorea alata (yellow yam), Dioscorea bulbifera (aerial yam), Dioscorea esculenta (Chinese yam) and Dioscorea dumenterum (trifoliate yam). Yams are high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese; while being low in saturated fat and sodium.
Worldwide yam production in 2007 amounted to 52 million tons, of which Africa produced 96%. Most of the world’s production comes from West Africa representing 94%, with Nigeria alone producing 71%, equaling more than 37 million tons. Though yams can be stored up to six months without refrigeration most of the yearly production is lost through spoilage because of lack of post-harvest facility in the country.

In Nigeria, though yams can be consumed by boiling, roasting and processed to yield Amala (especially in the South western part of the country), it can also be processed into the production of instant yam flour.

The traditional method of making pounded yam which requires physical pounding with mortar and pestle is very laborious and in some cases unhygienic. The increasing number of middle class family and the rise in health consciousness amongst the populace is making  the traditional way of processing pounded yam in Nigeria fast becoming a thing of the past as more and more family are shifting from the use of mortar and pestle to ready processed yam to be used for pounded yam production.

The process of producing instant yam flour is quite simple; it involves slicing, parboiling, drying and milling of the product to yield flour. The machinery and equipment required for production can be sourced locally or from abroad, and they include;

Yam slicer, yam parboiler, hammer mill with cyclone, industrial nylon sealing machine and a weighing machine.

yam flour

The production process is highlighted below;

  1. Yam selection: fresh harvested yam gotten from the farm are sorted to select whole-some tubers that are suitable for the production of instant pounded yam flour. Usually the mature white varieties of yam are most suitable.
  2. Weighing; the selected yam are weighed properly
  3. Washing; the yam tubers are washed properly in order to get rid of sand and other extraneous materials.
  4. Peeling and slicing; the washed yam tubers are peeled and then sliced to desired thickness.
  5. Parboiling; the sliced yam are then put into boiling water over a period of time depending on the thickness of the slices.
  6. Drying; the parboiled yam slices are dried in a dryer at a specified drying temperature and time.
  7. Milling; the dried yam slices are milled directly into flour of uniform particle size.
  8. Packaging; the instant pounded yam flour is the finally packaged in moisture proof nylon bags.

Raw materials, supplies and inputs

The only raw material required for the production of instant pounded yam flour is yam tubers. Nigeria has an abundant supply of yam, especially in the middle belt, south west (Oyo,Ondo and Osun states) and some parts in the North and Eastern Nigeria. The major item of supplies is the packaging materials. Other supplies required include; factory wears (overall, hand gloves, factory shoes,nose masks), disinfectants e.t.c. Electricity, diesel (for generator and project truck) and water are the major utilities required for a smooth production of instant pounded yam flour.

YAM FLOUR

Yam flour (off-white fine flour) also known as Elubo is used to prepare Amala. Amala is mostly consumed by the Yoruba people from the south-west of Nigeria.

yam flour

Ikokoro and white yam are the major varieties of yam used in yam flour production. Physically damage yams can also be used to prevent food wastage/food loss.

Equipment used for yam flour processing are Slicing Machine, Per-boilers, Dryers (Cabinet/Flash), milling machine (Hammermill with cyclone), sifting machines, sealers, packaging machines,  bowls, knives, scoops and weighing scale.

YAM FLOUR PRODUCTION FLOW CHART

yam flour

Cleaning: Clean to remove sand and dirt

Peeling: Peel manually using knives

Slicing: Slice peeled yam tubers into uniform size chips. This is to enable the chips to dry faster at the same time and temperature.
Cleaning: Clean/Rinse chips with water

Drying: Dry yam chips in a cabinet dryer. Ensure yam chips are properly dried.

Milling: Mill dried chips into a fine flour using a hammer mill

Cooling: Cool milled flour before packaging to reduce the heat generated as a result of milling
Sieving: Sieve to remove particles

Packaging: Package yam flour in different sizes (1kg, 2kg, 5kg, and 10kg) seal and label

Your packaged yam flour can be sold to individuals, supermarkets, schools, restaurants, hotels, and caterers. Yam flour can also be exported to other countries.

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Muhammed Alhassan