Associating cassava root and gari-eba quality traits with consumer preferences: Implications for breeding

Consumer preferences for processed products in cassava, like gari (cassava roasted flakes) and eba (dough produced from gari), in Nigeria are increasingly important for successful variety adoption. Understanding these preferences is essential in designing breeding programs that aim to integrate consumer-preferred traits with agronomic traits. This study evaluated consumer acceptability of eba using 22 cassava genotypes and 511 consumers to examine how consumer socio-demographic characteristics influence the acceptability of eba, compared consumer preferences across different cassava variety types, and analysed relationships among fresh root, biophysical, colour, textural, and sensory traits in relation to consumer perceptions of eba quality. We further identified key physicochemical and functional characteristics that drive overall product acceptability. The consumer liking of eba varied by genotype, gender, and age. Eba made from the IITA-TMS-IBA30572 genotype was most preferred, and eba made from CR36-5, despite its reported high yield, was least preferred. However, there was no statistical difference between the overall liking of advanced breeding genotypes, improved varieties and landraces. Consumer acceptability was strongly associated with swelling index (r = 0.55), instrumental textural profile analysis (ITPA) hardness (r = 0.61), and ITPA-cohesiveness (r = - 0.47). Prioritising improvements in texture, consistency, and desirable sensory traits in breeding programs can enhance consumer satisfaction and accelerate the adoption of new cassava varieties.