200 deaths per year from improperly prepared cassava.
Rather than thinking of cassava as a naturally deadly food, it is more accurate to think of it as a food that requires proper preparation.
The Risk Goes Beyond Acute Poisoning
Repeated exposure to cyanide from inadequately processed cassava can also contribute to serious health problems.
One condition associated with severe cassava-related cyanide exposure is konzo, a neurological disorder characterized by sudden and permanent weakness or paralysis, particularly of the legs.
The risk can increase in circumstances where communities depend heavily on cassava, particularly when food shortages make proper processing more difficult and diets lack sufficient protein.
This illustrates why cassava safety is not simply a matter of individual cooking preferences. Food security, nutrition, traditional processing knowledge, and access to safe preparation methods can all play a role.
How Is Cassava Made Safer?
Traditional processing techniques are designed to reduce cyanogenic compounds
