The Director-General, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Dr. Gloria Elemo has disclosed that the institute had designed and patented a plant for the mechanised production of garri, just as it had developed 25 cassava-based products through its research and development.

*Some varieties of the yellow cassava and their products being displayed.

She said the institute is  adding value to agricultural produce, using simple processing technologies that can be adopted by Micro, Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs for production of different convenient foods.

Some of the developed technologies developed by the institute, she maintained, have taken into consideration the significance of good nutrition toward promoting health and wellness in the society.

In line  with  this,  Dr. Elemo   said  the  institute  has  done researches  and employed  improved  technologies  on convenience foods which  can  be  produced locally  using natural nutrients.

She  listed  the  convenience  food  products  to include plantain flour and chips, tomato paste, ketchup and   puree, fruit juices from orange and  pineapple and  cassava based products, such as fortified gari, macaroni, custard; yam chips, sweet potato chips,tapioca,baked sweet potato and  baked Irish potato.

She explained that the institute’s processing facilities protect perishable crops and help entrepreneurs using     fruits and vegetables in the production of convenience food products.

Given improved funding, she said the institute has the ability to make more innovations into local food opportunities, adding that its scientists are working on   solutions to post harvest losses as well as storage problems.