Abstract

This study evaluated the sensory properties and consumer acceptance of boiled, fried, and mashed orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), by rural lactating women (n=80) and their children <2 years old (n=77). Sensory evaluation and acceptability were performed using a 7-point hedonic scale. Intake parameters (food intake and eating rate), and vitamin A content in the OFSP were measured. The relationships between the sensory descriptors and the type of OFSP preparations was analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) plot. Frying and boiling the OFSP decreased the vitamin A content by 50%, but an acceptable level of retinol was maintained. For all sensory attributes, mothers preferred fried OFSP over boiled, while their children gave high acceptability scores to both boiled and mashed OFSP. The success of the OFSP cultivar, which is newly introduced in Kaffrine, and its high acceptability are promising for the prevention of maternal and child vitamin A deficiency in the rural areas of Senegal.

Key words: Orange-fleshed sweet potato, sensory evaluation, consumer acceptance, Senegal.