A LA BONNE Intention (LBI), East Coast Demerara bakery has adopted the use of cassava flour in the baking of its breads and the entity plans to expand the use of the staple in future, citing its health advantages.Cassava flour is considered mild and neutral in flavour, and not grainy or gritty in texture, cassava flour, with its soft and powdery texture, can be matched on a 1:1 ratio with wheaten flour in many recipes, making it a preferred flour for gluten-free, grain-free baking and cooking, according to reports from studies conducted in Asia.

Julia and Robert Francis , the owners of Our Daily Bread Bakery at Kersaint Park , LBI have recognised the flour as an ingredient of the future and have since adopted the use of the flour in their breads.

“We want to do it continuously, at the moment we use 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the flour with the wheat flour in baking bread,” Julia told this publication on Sunday.

The new product has been selling in recent days on the East Coast of Demerara.
According to her, the bakery produced 100 loaves of bread mixed with wheat and cassava flour recently and “we got a good response”.

It was the very first batch made with cassava flour. She said the next move will be to mix the cassava flour with the whole wheat strain as well as to include its use in the making of tennis-rolls and hamburger breads.

Julia said the recent move by the bakery was encouraged by the authorities, noting that her husband was asked to bake bread using the cassava flour by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) for an event some months ago.

“It was the first time we tried it and we plan to use it in future,” Julia Francis said.

She told this publication that the customers have provided “good support” to the use of the cassava flour, noting that her husband is examining the market as he plans the expansion of the use of the flour.

“We see it online on the Internet as the flour of the future, it has so many uses,” Julia said.

She said that the bakery makes the flour from grated cassava which goes through a process of drying and sifting before it is made into the flour.

On Christmas Eve, Robert Francis is expected to pay another visit to the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) shop in Robb Street where he will be selling the new product.

“He was there this past Saturday and they requested him to come again next Saturday,” Julia said.

In 2017, the authorities plan to partner with local bakeries to integrate the use of cassava flour in the baking of starch products, such as bread and pastries.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder revealed during the budget debate recently that in 2017, a cassava flour processing facility will be established and become operational at Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo.

He told the National Assembly during his presentation two weeks ago that cassava processing is rare, with limited value addition undertaken in Guyana.
The staple is cultivated in most regions, especially in hinterland areas, but its by-products are currently not exported.

Holder said the touted initiative to partner with the bakeries to incorporate cassava flour in baked products would bring several benefits.

These include a reduction in post-harvest losses, the creation of market opportunities for fresh produce, and gainful employment with associated foreign exchange savings through a reduction in wheat imports.