Abstract

Wheat, maize and cassava flours are of mass consumption in Cameroonian households. Depending on the frequency of consumption and the size of households, these flours can take several months before complete exhaustion. The present work assessed the impact of three common storage conditions (aerobic, partial aerobic and anaerobic) on the evolution of some nutritional parameters of these flours. The results showed that nutritional parameters varied with conditions of storage and duration. Crude protein was the most affected parameter. After a month of storage, more than 90% of crude protein content dropped irrespective of storage condition and type of flour.  Carbohydrate content increased after a month of storage and decreased during the second month. On the other hand, total lipid and ash content did not varied. Generaly, nutritional parameters deteriorated more in aerobic condition, followed by partial anaerobic and then total anaerobic condition. Ultimately, total anaerobic environment was recommended for better conservation of flours.

Key words: Flour,  mass consumption, storage conditions, nutritional evaluation.