Orange-fleshed Sweet Potato Puree Research Articles

Evaluation of nutritional value, consumer preference, and profitability of orange‐fleshed sweet potato puree–incorporated bread and injera

AbstractIncorporation of orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) puree into wheat flour bread and teff flour injera can enrich the β‐carotene content of the products. Information about the optimal proportion of OFSP puree to be mixed with wheat and teff flour to make bread and injera is currently lacking in Ethiopia. This study was carried out to determine the optimum proportion of OFSP puree to be incorporated into wheat flour bread and teff flour injera, and to evaluate the nutritional content, sensory acceptability, and profitability of OFSP‐blended wheat bread and teff injera. Four OFSP puree:wheat flour ratio (0:100, 15:85, 30:70, and 45:55) and four OFSP puree:teff flour ratio (0:100, 15:85, 30:70, and 45:55) were evaluated. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found for β‐carotene content among the four bread and injera treatments. The highest β‐carotene (2340 µg 100 g−1 and 1735.00 µg 100 g−1) content was found in the bread and injera blended with 45% OFSP puree, respectively. Marked differences were also found among bread treatments with overall acceptability scores of 6.22 (100% wheat flour bread) and 5.93 (15% OFSP puree blended bread). Similarly, overall sensory acceptability varied profoundly among injera treatments with the highest scores of 5.73 and 5.85 recorded for injera blended with 15% and 30% OFSP puree, respectively. Considering the higher β‐carotene content and sensory qualities, bread and injera made from wheat and teff flour blended with 30% OFSP puree is recommended for commercial production and consumption among urban and rural consumers, including the most vulnerable groups to vitamin A deficiency.

Tailoring business models for small-medium food enterprises in Eastern Africa can drive the commercialization and utilization of vitamin A rich orange-fleshed sweet potato puree

Abstract Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), a promising crop for alleviating vitamin A deficiency (VAD), can be utilized at home and in commercial food processing as a basic and functional ingredient. The root can be processed into puree that is incorporated in baked and fried products and other products, with a high acceptability rate. When used as a wheat substitute in a bakery, the OFSP puree significantly cuts the production cost. In the last few years and with the intensified promotion of OFSP and OFSP puree products as a sustainable food-based strategy to tackling VAD at the population level, many small-medium food enterprises (SMEs) in the Eastern Africa Region (EAR) have shown great interest in utilizing the OFSP puree in their commercial product lines. However, the OFSP and OFSP puree value chain for commercial usage is still underdeveloped poising raw material supply challenges. In addition, the SMEs are early-stage businesses lacking the capacity and proper business models to propel them to sustainably venture into OFSP processing. As such, there is a need to engage and support SMEs in tailoring business models suitable for their scaling needs along the OFSP value chain to make available in the market, affordable nutrient-dense OFSP-puree products. This article presents the approach that was used to offer tailored Business Development Services (BDS) for selected SMEs in EAR to scale up their capacity to commercialize OFSP puree and puree-based products. The BDS designed and supported six integrated modules: business profile development, business model canvas, understanding the numbers/finances, OFSP value chain analysis, SWOT analysis, and growth plan, to develop and document individual business capacities and aspirations. The SMEs identified numerous opportunities and entry points for OFSP value chain development and expansion through the BDS depending on their business needs.

Assessment of consumers' preference for orange-fleshed sweet potato puree chapati: a case of rural and urban consumers in Kenya.

Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is bio-fortified with vitamin A precursors through breeding and is thus ideal for combating vitamin A deficiency (VAD). One of the potential mechanisms to promote the consumption of OFSP is to enhance its availability through processing into products with a longer shelf life and more desirable to consumers. However, very few farmers and agro-processors practice value addition due to market uncertainties; there is little information on market availability for OFSP products. This study examined consumers' preference for OFSP puree chapati in rural and urban areas of Kenya, using the contingent valuation method. Data was collected from a random sample of 411 sweet potato consumers and a double-bounded logit model was applied to analyze consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for OFSP puree chapati. Consumers were willing to pay a price of Kenya shillings (KES) 19 (USD 0.14) and 35 (USD 0.26) for OFSP puree chapati in Homa Bay and Nairobi counties, respectively. The presence of children under 5 years in a household, consumers' awareness of OFSP products and benefits of consuming OFSP, and level of education had a positive and significant influence on WTP for OFSP puree chapati in both regions. The study demonstrated that consumers exhibited a positive preference for OFSP puree chapati. In order to increase the consumption of OFSP and its value-added products, it is important to promote consumer awareness of OFSP puree chapati and other such nutritious products through cooking demonstrations and other nudging approaches using attractive illustrations and social media platforms that engage mothers and care-givers of children under 5 years old as well as the youth. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Consumer willingness to pay a premium for orange-fleshed sweet potato puree products: a gender-responsive evidence from Becker–DeGroot–Marschak experimental auction among low- and middle-income consumers in selected regions of Nairobi, Kenya

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major public health problem affecting people of all ages, particularly women of reproductive age and young children in the Global South. Nutrient-enriched (biofortified) orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) has promising potential as a sustainable food vehicle to combat VAD. Part of ongoing efforts to combat VAD, particularly among the urban poor populations, include the introduction of innovative OFSP puree, which is utilized as a functional and substitute ingredient in widely consumed baked and fried products. In Kenya, the OFSP puree is used to make commercial products that are affordable by low- and middle-income households. However, there is limited knowledge of consumer awareness, willingness to pay (WTP), and/or how gender plays a role in the uptake of these products. Following a multistage sampling technique, this study employs the Becker–DeGroot–Marschak (BDM) experimental auction method to assess if men and women consumers—from selected, highly populated low- and middle-income areas of Nairobi County in Kenya—are aware and if they would be willing to pay for OFSP puree products. Integrating gender considerations, we use three of the most widely consumed OFSP puree products, bread, buns, and chapati, and three treatment categories, naive, nutritional information, and OFSP puree substitute products' references prices to deduce the WTP for OFSP puree products among men and women. Results showed limited awareness of OFSP and OFSP puree products among men and women. However, both men and women were willing to pay a premium for the OFSP puree products. The intergender comparison showed that women were more willing to pay a premium for the OFSP puree products than men. Gender, age, education, knowledge of OFSP puree products, income category, availability of nutritional information, and reference pricing stand out as significant determinants of WTP.

Proximate composition and vitamin A contribution of biofortified orange fleshed sweet potato value added products

Orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is rich in provitamin A carotenoids and can thus be utilized to tackle Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Puree with high amounts of β-carotene processed from OFSP roots is currently being incorporated in baked products such as bread, cakes, biscuits, and buns. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional composition of OFSP puree supplemented food products, that is, bread, buns, flakes, cakes, biscuits, muffins, soft cookies, golden biscuits and whole wheat flour bread. The composite products made from OFSP puree were analyzed for β-carotene content and proximate analysis. The highest concentration of β-carotene (19.86 mg/100g) was obtained in OFSP flakes. The concentration in buns with 20% puree was 0.58 mg/100g, while bread with 35% puree had a concentration of 3.02 mg/100g. Biscuits, cookies and cakes with high puree of 40% had β-carotene concentrations of 2.39, 1.83, and 2.30 mg/100g respectively. These concentrations are lower than in bread with 35% puree, and we see different proportions of ingredients and other factors such as cooking method, duration of cooking also play a major role in the final β-carotene concentration of the products. The total Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) for the OFSP products were significantly different with bread (35% puree) having a higher concentration of 216.67 µg/100g and OFSP buns (20% puree) having a lower concentration of 41.19 µg/100g. Orange fleshed sweet potato flakes had the highest concentration of 1443.2 µg/100g and whole wheat flour bread having the least of 6.9 µg/100g. The moisture content, total ash, crude fiber, crude fat, crude protein, and carbohydrate content of the OFSP products varied between 2.4-29.7%, 0.7-2.4%, 1.0-4.5%, 0.7-18.1%, 5.1-7.9% and 50.7-83.7%, respectively. The findings of this study show that different proportions of OFSP puree: wheat flour is not the only determinant on the final β-carotene concentration of the different OFSP products, the type and quantity of ingredients used, cooking time and method also contribute to the VA content. Diversification of OFSP food products helps increase its consumption and its added value. Key words: Beta-carotene, Orange fleshed sweet potato, puree, Sweet potato, Vitamin A

Effects of orange-fleshed sweet potato supplementation on the phytochemical composition, physicochemical, and sensory properties of sorghum-based kunu-zaki

The phytochemical, physicochemical, and sensory properties of the blended kunun-zaki were determined. The fermented sorghum paste was substituted for orange-fleshed sweet potato puree at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 50% to produce orange-fleshed sweet potato-sorghum blended kunun-zaki. The phytochemical composition: carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamin A content of the blended kunun-zaki increased from 0 to 28.14 mg/100g, 0 to 191.50 mg/100g and 0.44 to 7.74 mg/100g respectively, while the tannin content decreased from 4.97 to 1.51 mg/100g, with an increase in added orange-fleshed sweet potato puree. The effects were significant (p = 0.05). The physicochemical properties: pH, total soluble solids, total solid and specific gravity increased from 3.97 to 4.10, 4.95 to 8.25°Brix, 1.55 to 2.80 g/100g and 5.65 to 13.70 g/100g respectively, while the acidity decreased from 39.21 to 12.00 g/100g, with increase in the added orange-fleshed sweet potato puree (0-50%). The average mean scores for sensory quality; flavour, colour and taste increased from 6.70 to 7.06, 6.70 to 7.41 and 6.43 to7.40 respectively, whereas odour, mouth feel and appearance decreased with increasing inclusion level of oranged-fleshed sweet potato puree from 7.90 to 6.93, 7.40 to 6.40 and 7.26 to 6.72 respectively. Overall results show that the beverage formulated were generally acceptable of which the sample containing 20% orange-fleshed sweet puree was most preferred. The addition of oranged-fleshed sweet potato puree improved the phytochemical content and the sensory quality [taste, flavour and colour] of the sorghum-based kunun-zaki.

Food Safety Characterization of Food Enterprises for Inclusive Nutrition Sensitive Value Chain Development in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Case Study of the Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Value Chain in Kenya

Food safety receives minimal attention and only captures national attention during foodborne disease outbreaks. The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices on food safety aspects related to Orange Fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) along the food value chain in Kenya. A cross-sectional study was designed and investigated food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among the OFSP processors, traders, and consumers of street foods in Kenya. A socio-demographic questionnaire and KAP questionnaire were used as data collection instruments. The study included OFSP traders OFSP puree processors, large retailer’s bakeries and consumers in Nairobi. The OFSP traders included were the suppliers of OFSP in the markets around Nairobi city. The OFSP consumers included the people who buy cooked OFSP from the street vendors in Nairobi city. Descriptive statistics such as percentage means and standard deviation were used to summarize the socio-demographic data and the knowledge, attitude, practices, and overall KAP. Pearson’s correlation was used to establish an association of the three study components. Adjusted linear regression was used to assess the effect of food safety on knowledge, attitude, and practices. Knowledgeable, positive attitude and good practice on food safety were considered for mean scores above 80%. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 . The findings from the OFSP processors revealed a mean percentage score for knowledge, attitude, practices at 70.7%, 93.5%, and 90%, respectively, with an overall mean score of 84.6%. Lower education level was statistically significantly associated with food safety practices at p = 0.002. Adjusted linear regression found a significant effect of food safety on knowledge at p<0.001. Adjusted multiple regression revealed that age was statistically significantly associated with food safety knowledge, and food safety attitude (both at p <0.001). Education level was significantly associated with food safety practices (p<0.001). Findings from OFSP traders revealed mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, practices at 63.1%, 74.4%, and 64.7%, respectively, with an overall mean score of 67.4%. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between food safety attitude and food safety practice p= 0.015. Similarly, a strong positive correlation between food safety practice and food safety knowledge was noted (p <0.001). Adjusted linear regression found that Food safety practice was significantly impacted by both knowledge and attitude R2=0.578 F=49.6 p=0.000. Results from OFSP consumers revealed mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, practices at 66.2%, 87.3%, and 91.6%, respectively with an overall mean score of 81.7%. Lower education level was statistically significantly associated with inappropriate practices among OFSP consumers p = 0.040. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a week positive correlation between food safety knowledge attitude and practice. : This study reveals a gap in the area of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice along the OFSP value chain. The study highlights the need for policymakers to address and review the knowledge, attitude, and practices in the food industry, to raise food safety awareness campaigns and organize more targeted training along the food chains to reduce the foodborne disease burden. Keywords: Food safety, Knowledge, attitude, practices, processor, traders, consumers DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/110-05 Publication date: September 30 th 2021

English

This study aimed at profiling bakers and fryers of wheat products in Nairobi to inform decisions leading towards incorporation of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) puree in these products. An exhaustive sampling was carried out and 748 processors were interviewed in Nairobi County. The results indicate that even though there were more female processors than men, this difference was not significant (p>0.05). Majority of processors and consumers were youths and there was low adoption of OFSP as an ingredient (4%). However, about 78% of the processors were willing to adopt OFSP puree as an ingredient. Moreover, the youths dominated the micro-enterprises presumably because they have a lot of energy as well as huge potential for innovation. Major customers were street passerby as majority operated roadside kiosks or hotels while location had significant (p<0.05) influence on willingness to adopt OFSP, production trends, main customers as well as markets for the products. The survey recommends capacity building among the Micro-Small-Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs) in order to be able to adopt nutritious ingredients such as Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) puree as a way of improving food and nutrition security for the masses that rely on fried and baked products.   Key words: Bakers, fryers, orange fleshed sweet potato, micro-small-medium-enterprises, wheat products.

Starch digestibility and β-carotene bioaccessibility in the orange- fleshed sweet potato puree-wheat bread.

Vitamin A is essential for vision, human health, growth, immune function, and reproduction. Its deficiency leads to anemia, xerophthalmia, and growth reduction in children. Foods enriched with naturally occurring carotenes have the potential, in this regard, and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) stands out tall as it is rich in β-carotene (βC), a provitamin A carotenoid. In view of developing OFSP-based functional foods to address the vitamin A deficiency (VAD) issues, herein, OFSP puree-wheat composite breads have been prepared at 10% to 50% OFSP puree concentrations and bioaccessibility of βC has been estimated. The total βC is found to be 4.3, 9.2, 16.5, 23.3, and 33.6µg/g in 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% OFSP bread, respectively. The corresponding calculated retinol activity equivalents (RAE) are 30.9, 66.4, 119.5, 170.4, and 246.2 RAE/100 g.The efficiency of micellarization of all-trans-βC, 13-cis βC, and 9-cis βC after simulated oral, gastric, and small intestinal digestion are 1.4% to 6.4%, 1.4% to 7.2%, and 1.1% to 6.9%, respectively. The amount of micellarized βC correlates linearly with the OFSP concentration in the bread. Furthermore, in vitro starch digestion decreases with significant reduction in the Rapidly Digestible Starch (RDS) amount coupled with increase in the Slowly Digestible Starch (SDS) and Resistant Starch (RS) fractions. Overall, OFSP-wheat composite bread holds adequate amount of provitamin A carotenoids. The amount of bioaccessible βC coupled with altered starch digestion of the OFSP wheat breads highlight their usefulness as novel functional foods that could address the VAD as well as glycemic issues toward improving human health.

Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L (Lam)) Composite Spaghetti has Good Consumer Acceptability and a Significant Source of Dietary Vitamin A

Objective In this study, orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) puree was substituted with wheat flour (48:52%) in the production of spaghetti, herein denoted VitAspag and compared with three existing whole wheat brands (Local, Oba and Spaghetti). Methods Hundred untrained panel list evaluated the colour, taste, stickiness, firmness and overall acceptability using a 5-point hedonic scale. The proximate and β-carotene content of VitAspag was carried out using standard methods and compared with the most preferred existing brand, Spaghetti. Results The sensory scores for all spaghetti brands were above 3, an indication of good consumer acceptability. There was no significant (p>0.05) difference among vitAspag, Local, Oba and Spaghetti with respect to all sensory attributes considered. The moisture, ash and fibre content ranged from 8.90% - 9.50%, 1.15% - 1.20% and 0.42% - 0.62%, respectively. Spaghetti, had a significantly higher protein (2.02% vs. 0.05%; p<0.001) and carbohydrates (81.0% vs. 79.7%; p = 0.024) content compared with VitAspag. VitAspag, was also significantly (p<0.001) higher in β-carotene, almost 1.6 times higher than Spaghetti. A 125 g and 500 g of vitAspag per day will respectively meet 10% and 9.03% of the daily vitamin A requirement of children <5 years (300 µg RAE/day) and pregnant and lactating mothers (1,300 µg RAE/day). Conclusion Ranking VitAspag similar to the existing commercial brand is an indication that consumers will equally accept it. OFSP puree could be composited with wheat flour up to (48:52%) on as is basis to make spaghetti and will contribute to a significant amount of dietary intake of vitamin A.

Effect of processing and oil type on carotene bioaccessibility in traditional foods prepared with flour and puree from orange‐fleshed sweetpotatoes

SummaryConsumption of Orange‐Fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) and products as source of provitamin A is being promoted to tackle vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in sub‐Saharan Africa. However, limited information is available on β‐carotene retention in foods and delivery after digestion. The study assessed carotene retention and bioaccessibility following in vitro digestion on traditional foods having OFSP among the ingredients. Sunflower oil, margarine and beef fat were evaluated on their effect on β‐carotene bioaccessibility. Porridge and chapatis were prepared with either OFSP puree or flours in the formulations. Carotene retention was highest in chapatis (83%) as compared to porridge (65%). Micerallisation efficiency of all‐trans β‐carotene was comparable between similar products but greater in chapatis (62%) than porridge (11%). Sunflower oil had the highest all‐trans β‐carotene bioaccessibility compared to margarine and beef fat. The results support the promotion of consumption of OFSP‐based products as good source of provitamin A to fight VAD.

Consumer Knowledge and Attitude Towards Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP) Puree Bread in Kenya

Abstract OFSP is being used as an ingredient of baked products and can be a source of pro-vitamin A. Information about OFSP puree bread consumer profile is limited. The current study investigates the consumer socio-demographics, knowledge, practices and attitude towards OFSP puree bread in Kenya. A total of 1024 consumers were interviewed from Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Kisumu and Kakamega counties. The OFSP bread is purchased by 60% female respondents above 30 years old, who have a university education (79%), formally employed (93%), therefore, middle to high-income earners. Before consumption, 42% of the consumers stored their bread in the refrigerator while 38% stored in the open, and 20% in cupboards. Consumers agree that the OFSP bread could be a good source of energy, vitamins, especially Vitamin A (94%). The acceptance ratings of OFSP bread ranged from 7.37 to 7.65 on a 9-score hedonic scale, hence “liked moderately.” There was a significant relationship between socio-demographics, knowledge about the root, the bread and the overall acceptance of the OFSP puree bread. Consumers were willing to pay more for the OFSP bread based on potential nutritional benefits. There was a significant relationship between consumer demographics and willingness to pay for OFSP puree bread.

Production, Utilization and Nutritional benefits of Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP) Puree Bread: A Review

Bread though an exotic food product in sub-Saharan Africa, has been an important cereal product consumed by most individuals among the vast Sub-Saharan African population. Bread formulations in both the local and industrial production have evolved. The latest and emerging technology in bread formulation involve the incorporation of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) puree. OFSP puree-based bread is commercially available across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and is being promoted due to the potential nutritional benefits that it possesses. Together with OFSP flour based bread, OFSP puree based bread serves as a good food vehicle for β-carotene; this serves to alleviate vitamin A deficiency (VAD) especially among the vulnerable population in SSA. The production of OFSP puree based bread has so far been relying on fresh OFSP puree or cold-chain stored OFSP puree. However, this has presented economic challenges and problems to the sustainability and expansion in OFSP puree bread production. Cold chain stored OFSP puree is capital intensive and has inconsistent supply. With the development of shelf-storable preservative treated OFSP puree, most of these challenges will be overcome without undoing the currently harnessed benefits. The use of OFSP puree in bread baking can then be expanded easily at minimal production costs and maximum retention of nutritional quality. Therefore, the use of the shelf-storable OFSP puree in bread baking needs to be evaluated further to present a substantiated case for its use. The current review has been developed with focus on the scientific advances in the production of OFSP puree based bread from both historical and a forecast perspective. The scientific progress and breakthroughs in the use of OFSP puree in bread are critically reviewed.

Sensory Attributes of Composite Breads from Shelf Storable Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato Puree

Abstract Technological advances in baking have enabled the use of bread as a food vehicle for various nutrients through use of composite flours. Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) puree subjected to cold chain storage has been used to enrich bread with beta-carotene. However, this has proven expensive and inconsistent in supply of puree. This study sought to develop shelf-storable OFSP puree bread with similar sensory qualities to fresh OFSP puree bread. Bread in which two treatments of shelf-storable OFSP puree (treatments 1 and 2 with 0.5% potassium sorbate+0.5% sodium benzoate+1% citric acid and 0.2% potassium sorbate+0.2% sodium benzoate+1%citric acid respectively) were incorporated at 30% and 40% and were subjected to descriptive sensory analysis with white and fresh puree breads as controls. The results indicate that both the 40% and 30% wheat substitution with either treatment 1 or 2 OFSP puree bread are acceptable to the consumers, p<0.05. The saltiness, smoothness and crumb color scores for shelfstorable OFSP puree bread were similar to those of fresh puree bread but were significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of white bread. Shelf-storable OFSP puree bread had similar sensory profile to fresh OFSP puree bread thus can be exploited as an alternative to fresh puree bread.

Sensory Attributes of Composite Breads from Shelf Storable Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato Puree

Sensory Attributes of Composite Breads from Shelf Storable Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato Puree

Bioaccessibility of Biofortified Sweet Potato Carotenoids in Baby Food: Impact of Manufacturing Process.

Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), a biofortified crop rich in β-carotene, can be used as a component of baby food recipes in order to tackle vitamin A deficiency in children <6 years old. In this work, the impact of formulation (addition of pumpkin, oil, and egg yolk) and industrial heat processing (pasteurization, sterilization) on carotenoid content and bioaccessibility was evaluated in an OFSP-based baby puree. A commercial OFSP baby food product from Brazil and a homemade OFSP puree were used as references. The losses of all-trans-β-carotene ranged from 16 to 21% (pasteurization, homemade) to 32% (sterilization). Because of higher particle sizes and despite a higher content in carotenoids, the homemade puree had a lower bioaccessibility (i.e., micellar transfer using in vitro digestion: 0.50%) compared with the sterilized and commercial purees (5.3–6.2%). Taking into account bioaccessibility and applying a 50% conversion to retinol, a 115 g baby portion of the sterilized OFSP-puree formulated with 2% oil provided 31.4% of the daily vitamin A requirement (RDA) for children under 6 years. In comparison, 115 g of homemade OFSP-puree provided only 3.5% of the RDA. Addition of pumpkin to OFSP did not improve the percentage of RDA. Interestingly, the incorporation of an emulsifier (egg yolk powder) before cooking could improve the percentage of provision by a factor of 2.7. These results showed that reaching a balance between formulation and processing is determinant to maximize carotenoid bioaccessibility of carotenoids from OFSP-based baby food.

The physiochemical properties and shelf-life of orange-fleshed sweet potato puree composite bread.

Value addition of orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) increases diversified utilization of this crop, which is rich in provitamin A carotenoids. OFSP bread, in which 30%–45% of wheat flour is replaced with OFSP puree, has been successfully commercialized in Kenya. However, the effect of this substitution on the bread's physiochemical properties and its shelf‐life are currently unknown. This study was designed to determine the physiochemical properties and shelf‐life of OFSP puree‐wheat flour composite bread (30% puree), compared to standard, 100% wheat flour, bread. Freshly baked bread samples were stored at 7, 20, 25, and 30°C, and monitored for moisture content, water activity, color, texture, volume, carotenoids, and microbial load. The moisture content, β‐carotene content, and color of bread significantly decreased with increase in storage temperature and time (p < 0.05). Bread made with OFSP puree had a longer shelf‐life, showing spoilage on day six compared with the white bread, which spoiled on the fourth day. This is attributed to the significantly higher water activity in white bread than in the OFSP bread. The substitution of wheat with OFSP puree resulted in reduced extensibility of gluten, thus, specific volume of white bread was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that in OFSP puree bread. Refrigeration increased crumb firmness, chewiness and cohesiveness in both types of bread. In conclusion, OFSP puree increases the water binding capacity of the bread, which reduces water activity and increases its shelf‐life.

Effects of Acidification and Preservatives on Microbial Growth during Storage of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Puree.

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) puree, a versatile food ingredient, is highly perishable limiting its use in resource constrained environments. It is therefore important to develop shelf-stable puree. A challenge test study was carried out to determine the effect of combinations of chemical preservatives and acidification on microbial growth in stored puree. Puree was prepared and treated as follows: control (A); 0.05% potassium sorbate+0.05% sodium benzoate+1% citric acid (B); 0.1% potassium sorbate+0.1% sodium benzoate+1% citric acid (C); 0.2% potassium sorbate+0.2% sodium benzoate+1% citric acid (D); 1% citric acid (E). Samples were inoculated with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at levels of 5.2 x 109 cfu/100g and 1.5 x 109 cfu/100g, respectively, before being evaluated during storage for 10 weeks at prevailing ambient temperature (15-25°C) and refrigeration temperature (4°C). Total aerobic counts, yeasts, and molds were also evaluated. E. coli and S. aureus counts declined significantly (p<0.05) by 4 log cycles in all puree treatments except for control and puree with only citric acid. Total viable count, yeasts, and molds were completely inhibited except for puree with only citric acid. Combination of chemical preservatives and acidification is effective in inhibiting pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in sweet potato puree.

Good Manufacturing Practices and Microbial Contamination Sources in Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Puree Processing Plant in Kenya.

Limited information exists on the status of hygiene and probable sources of microbial contamination in Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) puree processing. The current study is aimed at determining the level of compliance to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), hygiene, and microbial quality in OFSP puree processing plant in Kenya. Intensive observation and interviews using a structured GMPs checklist, environmental sampling, and microbial analysis by standard microbiological methods were used in data collection. The results indicated low level of compliance to GMPs with an overall compliance score of 58%. Microbial counts on food equipment surfaces, installations, and personnel hands and in packaged OFSP puree were above the recommended microbial safety and quality legal limits. Steaming significantly (P < 0.05) reduced microbial load in OFSP cooked roots but the counts significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the puree due to postprocessing contamination. Total counts, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, and E. coli and S. aureus counts in OFSP puree were 8.0, 4.0, 6.6, 5.8, 4.8, and 5.9 log10 cfu/g, respectively. In conclusion, equipment surfaces, personnel hands, and processing water were major sources of contamination in OFSP puree processing and handling. Plant hygiene inspection, environmental monitoring, and food safety trainings are recommended to improve hygiene, microbial quality, and safety of OFSP puree.

Orange-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) composite bread as a significant source of dietary vitamin A.

Refining food recipes with orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) has the potential to improve dietary intake of vitamin A. The objectives of this study were to utilize OFSP in the development of two composite bread types and to assess their contribution to dietary intake of vitamin A using the dietary reference intake of lactating mothers. Two composite OFSP–wheat flour bread recipes—vita butter bread and vita tea bread—were developed by incorporating 46% OFSP puree in existing 100% wheat flour bread recipes consumed by Ghanaians. A paired‐preference test was used to profile the appearance, aroma, sweetness, and overall degree of liking of the vita butter bread and vita tea bread and their respective 100% wheat flour bread types. Weighed bread intake by lactating mothers (n = 50) was used to estimate the contribution to dietary vitamin A based on the trans β‐carotene content. The developed vita butter bread and vita tea bread were most preferred by at least 77% (p < .05) of consumers (n = 310) for all the attributes considered. The average daily intake by the lactating mothers for vita butter bread was 247 g, and for vita tea bread was 196 g. The trans β‐carotene content of vita butter bread and vita tea bread were found to be 1.333 mg/100 g and 0.985 mg/100 g, respectively. The estimated trans‐β‐carotene intake was 3,293 μg/day (vita butter) and 1,931 μg/day (vita tea) based on the weighed bread intake, respectively, meeting 21% and 12% of the daily requirement (1,300 μg RAE/day) for lactating mothers, the life stage group with the highest vitamin A requirement. OFSP therefore could composite wheat flour to bake butter and tea bread, and will contribute to significant amount of dietary intake of vitamin A.