Tapioca
• Tapioca is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant.
• It is a staple food in many parts of the world and its flour is used as a thickening agent in many preparations
• It is also used to manufacture biodegradable packaging.
• It is a staple food in many parts of the world and its flour is used as a thickening agent in many preparations
• It is also used to manufacture biodegradable packaging.
The starch is processed into several forms: hot soluble powder, meal, pre-cooked fine or coarse flakes, rectangular sticks, and spherical "pearls".
Konzo (also called mantakassa) is a paralytic disease associated with several weeks of almost exclusive consumption of insufficiently processed bitter cassava.
It is used to make biodegradable, anti-microbial coatings and packaging for food. It is a viable plastic replacement and is renewable, reusable and recyclable.
Additives can be added to tapioca to enhance the physical, chemical and thermal properties.