What is Mocaf?

Mocaf, this type of flour is often predicted to be healthier than wheat because of its gluten-free content. What is mocaf? How to produce it? How is it also used? Then what is the history of the development of mocaf? 

Mocaf stands for Modified Cassava Flour, because in the manufacturing process it is modified by microbial or enzymatic fermentation. According to Djalal (2011), the nutritional composition of mocaf is 13 percent water content, 1.0 percent protein content, 0.2 percent ash content, 85-87 percent starch content, 1.9-3.4 percent fiber content, fat content 0.4-0.8 percent. One of the advantages of mocaf flour is that it has high levels of dissolved fiber and minerals (calcium, phosphorus) making it easy to digest and suitable for those who are on a diet and adopt a healthy diet. 

Mocaf flour has better viscosity, gelation, rehydration and dissolving properties compared to tapioca flour, cassava flour, or ordinary cassava flour. Compared to unfermented cassava flour or cassava flour, mocaf flour has better quality, which has a soft texture, looks whiter, and the distinctive aroma of cassava is lost, so that when used to substitute flour it does not reduce the quality of the product if the proportion of use is in accordance with the type of product. . 

For the method of making Mocaf flour, it begins with the process of selecting good quality cassava, which is large cassava and the flesh is clean white (not woody). After that, peel the cassava and clean it with running water. Then, cut the cassava into small pieces using a cassava cutting machine. After that, the cassava pieces are soaked using enzymes, this is intended to maximize nutrition and make the sweet potato texture softer. After soaking for about 1 day, drain the cassava pieces and dry them in the sun. The final step is mashing or mashing the cassava using a crusher machine.

Benefits Of Mocaf Flour

Mocaf is very good to be used as a mixture or substitute for making food that has been using wheat flour. Even in many food preparations, 100% Mocaf can be used. Mocaf flour can be used as an application for food processing such as: plain bread; cookies, crackers, and various other biscuits; noodles, muffins, snow princess cakes, brownies, kastengel, and various other cakes and processed foods. With the advantages of this extraordinary mocaf flour, it can also be used as additional food for babies, children with special needs such as autism and celiac disease, and people with diabetes.

Research on mocaf has been initiated since 2004 by researchers from the University of Jember and in 2011 entered into a consumption trial. The taste and nutritional content of mocaf are no less than real rice. In its development, mocaf is used as raw material for making “smart rice”. The raw materials for making smart rice are restructured from a variety of natural and original Indonesian raw materials that are processed with high technology so that they are more nutritious and healthier. 

The figure behind this clever rice invention is Achmad Subagio. He is a lecturer and professor at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, University of Jember, an alumni of food technology at Osaka Prefecture University, who has been observing cassava flour or cassava flour which seems inferior and is closely related to poverty. From there came the determination to restore the glory of cassava as an original Indonesian food ingredient. As a result, in the current era, the existence of mocaf flour continues to experience development, one of which is an alternative to wheat flour which is beneficial for the national food processing industry. Mocaf flour is starting to become an option for the food processing industry because the types and characteristics of mocaf flour are almost the same as wheat flour, but at a much cheaper price, making mocaf flour a very attractive choice. Currently, the Mocaf industry has proven to be able to improve the welfare of cassava farmers in various regions, one of which is Banjarnegara district.

 

REFERENCES

Djalal (2011) in Widasari, M. and Handayani. 2014. The Effect of the Proportion of Flour-Mocaf (Modified Cassava Flour) and the Addition of Tempe Formula Flour on the Result of Flake. E-Journal of Catering Judicium Edition, October 2014 Period. 3 (3): 222 – 228.

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