Abstract

Amala is a food made out of sweet potato, yam and/or cassava flour product that is traditionally consumed in Nigeria. The aim of the study was to evaluate the acceptability of amala produced from orange-fleshed sweet potato using traditional and modified methods of fermentation. Consumer acceptability studies provided information on the sensory attributes of traditional and modified amala samples. It was found that the pH of the amala was the same as the pH of the fermented sweet potato at Day 3 for both the cold and hot traditional (4.4) and modified (3.5) processes. The mean appearance, odour and familiarity scores were in a narrow range (7.2 to 7.8), while taste and overall acceptability showed a wider range of mean scores (6.9 to 8.0). The major differences (P < 0.05) observed were in taste and overall acceptability of the two products. The study indicated a higher significant acceptability for modified amala than traditional amala. It further demonstrated the usefulness of consumer acceptability test in quantifying the sensory attributes of the two products. This study was the first of its type and can serve as a good opening for policy makers wishing to promote the use of orange-fleshed sweet potato to fight against vitamin deficiencies in developing countries, particularly Nigeria. The study has successfully created varieties as well as alternative to amala from yam and the traditional method.

Key words: Orange-fleshed sweet potato, traditional, modified fermentation, amala, vitamin A and C, Nigeria.