Flours, starches and milled products

Ensures that processing steps minimize cyanogenic compounds and maintain hygiene.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Provides guidelines for safe cyanide levels and product specifications.

Codex Alimentarius standards

Flour that exceeds the safe HCN threshold poses a health risk and must be rejected.

Excessive cyanide

Visible signs of mold indicate poor storage conditions and render the flour unsuitable.

Mold or fungal growth

Presence of stones, metal fragments, or other non‑cassava material is a quality defect.

Foreign matter

Processors use cassava and tuber flour as a gluten‑free starch source in breads, noodles, snacks and ready‑to‑eat meals.

Food manufacturers

The flour is incorporated into feed formulations as an energy‑dense carbohydrate ingredient.

Animal feed industry

Used in adhesives, paper coating and biodegradable film production due to its high amylopectin content.

Industrial starch applications

Used as a gluten‑free flour in breads, pastries, noodles, and snack products.

Food manufacturing

Incorporated into compound feeds for livestock and aquaculture as an energy source.

Animal feed formulation

Serves as a raw material for starch extraction and for producing bio‑based adhesives.

Industrial applications

Measure the residual hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in the flour; sweet‑type flour should contain less than 50 mg HCN per kilogram, while bitter‑type flour may exceed this level but must be treated to reduce HCN to safe limits.

Cyanogenic glycoside content

Moisture should be low enough to prevent microbial growth; typical acceptable range is 10 % or less by weight.

Moisture level

Flour particles should be consistent, free from coarse fragments or lumps that could affect processing performance.

Particle size uniformity

Bags that protect the flour from moisture and physical damage while allowing easy handling.

Multi‑layer sealed bags

Containers must hold flour of the same variety, quality class, and size to ensure consistency.

Uniform bulk containers

Cassava and tuber flour

Insufficient processing can leave residual linamarin and other cyanogenic compounds in cassava flour, posing acute toxicity risk to consumers.

Cyanogenic glycoside residues

Improper drying or storage can allow growth of Aspergillus species that produce aflatoxins, a potent carcinogen, in cassava flour.

Fungal contamination with aflatoxin

If humidity and temperature are not controlled, cassava and tuber flour can develop mold or microbial growth, leading to quality loss and safety concerns.

Moisture‑induced spoilage

Stored cassava flour can be attacked by the cassava weevil (Cylas spp.), leading to physical contamination and loss of product quality.

Cassava weevil infestation

Cassava and tuber flour is a milled product derived from cassava roots and other tubers. It is used as a gluten‑free flour in food processing and animal feed applications.

Month	Exports	Imports
Dec 2022	$688K	Not reported
Nov 2022	$629K	$671
Oct 2022	$751K	Not reported
Sep 2022	$638K	Not reported
Aug 2022	$713K	$159
Jul 2022	$537K	Not reported
Jun 2022	$439K	Not reported
May 2022	$477K	Not reported
Apr 2022	$679K	Not reported
Mar 2022	$969K	Not reported
Feb 2022	$765K	$74
Jan 2022	$940K	Not reported

Rwanda Cassava and Tuber Flour Exports and Imports

Monthly Trade Values