This Staple Food Eaten By 700 Million That Can Turn Deadly

A staple food that sustains millions worldwide carries a hidden danger if not handled properly. While one variety of this crop is vital for survival, an identical counterpart can be deadly. The growing reliance on black markets leaves desperate individuals unable to distinguish between the two, putting lives at serious risk.

According to The Guardian, cassava, also known as manioc and yuca, is a staple food for about 700 million people worldwide. The perennial plant is native to South America but was brought to Africa by 17th-century explorers and later introduced to Asia. It thrives in tropical climates. The plant is very resilient, surviving where many other crops fail, and involves less human investment per calorie than potatoes. It is often poorer communities that rely on cassava for their survival.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, cassava, an edible tuberous root often made into flour, contains cyanogenic glycosides, which can result in fatal cyanide poisoning if not properly detoxified by soaking, drying, and scraping before being consumed. Acute cassava-associated cyanide poisoning outbreaks are rarely described.

CDC further mentions that in September 2017, an outbreak of suspected cyanide poisoning, involving 98 cases with two deaths, occurred in western Uganda. Epidemiologic and laboratory investigation identified consumption of a cassava flour dish made from wild cultivars of cassava with high cyanogenic content as the cause of the outbreak.

Education of farmers and consumers about the importance of strict adherence to established methods of degrading cyanogenic glycosides in cassava is essential to prevent cyanide poisoning.

According to Sciencedirect.com, "Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a woody shrub that belongs to the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Cassava, an annual crop native to South America, is also called manioc or yucca. It is now extensively cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions, mainly for its edible tubers as a source of carbohydrates. In some communities, its green leaves are also consumed as a vegetable, although leaves are rich in cyanogenic glycosides and require careful processing. Starch is made from cassava root and used in many culinary and industrial applications."