Cassava kills 200 people a year — yet 500 million still eat it

Peeled cassava pieces soaking in a bowl of water as part of safe food preparation — Illustration © Toptenplay

Awareness of these preparation requirements is reported to be spreading, with safer processing methods becoming more widely practiced in communities that rely on cassava as a dietary staple. When handled correctly, cassava can be a nutritious and safe part of the diet.

How to prepare cassava safely: what the WHO recommends

The World Health Organization identifies improper processing as the root cause of cyanide poisoning from cassava. The critical step is soaking peeled and cut cassava in water for up to 24 hours before cooking. This process allows cyanogenic glucosides to break down and dissipate, significantly reducing the risk of toxic exposure.

The risk is highest with bitter varieties of cassava, and is compounded by a low-protein diet, which limits the body’s natural ability to neutralize cyanide. People in regions affected by poverty, famine or conflict are particularly vulnerable, as time, resources and food variety may all be limited. Thorough cooking after soaking further reduces any residual toxins.

Anyone regularly consuming cassava — particularly bitter varieties — should ensure the full soaking and cooking process is followed. The WHO links shortcutting this preparation to both acute poisoning deaths and the onset of konzo, an irreversible paralysis condition.

The WHO has not published a revised global death toll estimate beyond the figure of approximately 200 annual fatalities, and no international regulatory framework currently governs cassava preparation standards across the countries where it is most consumed. As food insecurity persists in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America — regions where konzo outbreaks have historically occurred — the question of how to scale safe preparation practices at the community level remains open.

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