PREPARATION AND ACCEPTABILITY OF CASHEW DRINK WITH THE USE OF BENZOIC PRESERVATIVE (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The cashew fruit is an accessory fruit, sometimes called a pseudo carp or false fruit.What appears to be the fruits is an oral or pear shaped structure, a hypocarium, that develops from the pedical and the receptacle of cashew flower.
The cashew tree anacardiumaccidentale generally considered to be nationto the northern part of south America, is now found in many tropical areas brazil, India, Vietnam and Nigeria are the main producers (Honorato et-al 2007). The fruit consists of mainly the nuts containing an embryo (kernel) and a false fruit commonly called cashew apple (Akinwale, 1999) and it is rated foremost of the native fruits in Nigeria (Alinwale 2000).
Cashew is an important cash crop grows in Nigeria an area of 331,00ha which produced 660,000 tore of raw nuts in 2007. Given the weight ratio of apple to nut at 8.1 (Comier. 2008) the annual production of cashew apple is Nigeria is about %.2 million tones, most which is left to rot in the field under the trees of lack adequate storage facilities. The studies carried out at cocoa Research institute of Nigeria (CRIN) revealed that the present consumption of cashew apple either in raw or processed form is about 10% of production (Oduwole et-al 2001).
Cashew fruits is a valuable source of minerals and vitamin. Indeed, cashew apple juice is reported to contain 5 times as much VitamineC as Citrus juice (Akinwale2000, Azam-Ali, Judge 2001) and 10 times as pineapple juice Ohler 1988). The cashew apple juice also has medical uses. For instance its high tannin content makes it suitable remedy for sore throat and chronscdysentery in Cuba and Brazil (Monton 1981). It is also reported to have anti-bacterial, anti oxidant (melocavalcanteet – al 2003) and anti-mutagenic (caoalcante et-al 2005).
The cashew apple is quite perishable and used locally unless preserved. It will rot within 24hr of falling or detached from a tree (Kristin, 1999). As a result of the neeed to find a wider uses for cashew apples, the cashew producing countries of the world have explored the developed many different products. The reported works on the products frow cashew apple include fermentation of juice into wine (Aderiye et-al 1991) Akinwale, 1999, Shuklajasha et-al 2005), preparation of jam and preserves (Ogunmmoyela, 1983) conversion of apple juice into alcohol and non-alcohol beverages candied, fruits, fresh uice, jelly, syrup, and pechon. (winterh8alter 1991) and sub dried cashew apple (morton 1987)
