The orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a nutrient-rich crop with high β-carotene content, which helps prevent vitamin A deficiency (VAD). However, its semi-perishability requires proper processing to preserve its nutritional and sensory properties. This study assessed the effects of sun and solar drying on the proximate composition, β-carotene, vitamin C, mineral content, and sensory attributes of OFSP porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge) consumed in the Lake zone of Tanzania. Three variety of OFSP; Ejumla, Jewel, and Carrot Dar, were subjected to solar or sun-drying and subsequently processed into flour. The resulting flours were used to produce porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge). Conventional techniques were employed to evaluate the proximate composition, β-carotene, vitamin C, and micronutrient content of porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge). Additionally, sensory analysis was performed to assess the level of acceptability of the items' sensory qualities. There was a significant difference in moisture content, crude protein, and crude fat between porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge) for all three varieties of OFSP (p<0.05). Moreover, solar-dried products had higher retention of β-carotene (28.79 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (3.29-10.45 mg/100 g). Sun-dried products had lower mineral content than solar-dried products. There was also a significant difference (p<0.05) between solar and sun-dried products in all tested essential minerals. The nutrients analyzed were more concentrated in stiff porridge than in regular porridge, such as calcium (21.65mg/100g), potassium (90.70mg/100g), Sodium (169.98mg/100g), magnesium (13.26mg/100g) and zinc (0.51mg/100g). Solar-dried items had the highest acceptability scores (3.0–3.9) compared to sun-dried products, with Ejumla being the most preferred. The findings depict that solar drying preserves OFSP-based food's nutritional and sensory quality better. Solar-dried OFSP may reduce vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and improve nutritional security in Tanzania.
| Published in | Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Volume 13, Issue 3) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12 |
| Page(s) | 119-129 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
OFSP, Solar Drying, Sun-drying, Ugali, Porridge, Proximate Composition, β-carotene, Vitamin C, Mineral Content
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APA Style
Chuwa, C., Issa-Zacharia, A. (2025). Effect of Processing on Nutritional and Sensory Quality of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato’s Porridge and Ugali (stiff-porridge) Consumed in the Lake Zone, Tanzania. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 13(3), 119-129. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12
ACS Style
Chuwa, C.; Issa-Zacharia, A. Effect of Processing on Nutritional and Sensory Quality of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato’s Porridge and Ugali (stiff-porridge) Consumed in the Lake Zone, Tanzania. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2025, 13(3), 119-129. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12
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Download@article{10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12,
author = {Caresma Chuwa and Abdulsudi Issa-Zacharia},
title = {Effect of Processing on Nutritional and Sensory Quality of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato’s Porridge and Ugali (stiff-porridge) Consumed in the Lake Zone, Tanzania
},
journal = {Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences},
volume = {13},
number = {3},
pages = {119-129},
doi = {10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfns.20251303.12},
abstract = {The orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a nutrient-rich crop with high β-carotene content, which helps prevent vitamin A deficiency (VAD). However, its semi-perishability requires proper processing to preserve its nutritional and sensory properties. This study assessed the effects of sun and solar drying on the proximate composition, β-carotene, vitamin C, mineral content, and sensory attributes of OFSP porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge) consumed in the Lake zone of Tanzania. Three variety of OFSP; Ejumla, Jewel, and Carrot Dar, were subjected to solar or sun-drying and subsequently processed into flour. The resulting flours were used to produce porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge). Conventional techniques were employed to evaluate the proximate composition, β-carotene, vitamin C, and micronutrient content of porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge). Additionally, sensory analysis was performed to assess the level of acceptability of the items' sensory qualities. There was a significant difference in moisture content, crude protein, and crude fat between porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge) for all three varieties of OFSP (p<0.05). Moreover, solar-dried products had higher retention of β-carotene (28.79 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (3.29-10.45 mg/100 g). Sun-dried products had lower mineral content than solar-dried products. There was also a significant difference (p<0.05) between solar and sun-dried products in all tested essential minerals. The nutrients analyzed were more concentrated in stiff porridge than in regular porridge, such as calcium (21.65mg/100g), potassium (90.70mg/100g), Sodium (169.98mg/100g), magnesium (13.26mg/100g) and zinc (0.51mg/100g). Solar-dried items had the highest acceptability scores (3.0–3.9) compared to sun-dried products, with Ejumla being the most preferred. The findings depict that solar drying preserves OFSP-based food's nutritional and sensory quality better. Solar-dried OFSP may reduce vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and improve nutritional security in Tanzania.
},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Effect of Processing on Nutritional and Sensory Quality of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato’s Porridge and Ugali (stiff-porridge) Consumed in the Lake Zone, Tanzania AU - Caresma Chuwa AU - Abdulsudi Issa-Zacharia Y1 - 2025/06/03 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12 DO - 10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12 T2 - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences JF - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences JO - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences SP - 119 EP - 129 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2330-7293 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20251303.12 AB - The orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a nutrient-rich crop with high β-carotene content, which helps prevent vitamin A deficiency (VAD). However, its semi-perishability requires proper processing to preserve its nutritional and sensory properties. This study assessed the effects of sun and solar drying on the proximate composition, β-carotene, vitamin C, mineral content, and sensory attributes of OFSP porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge) consumed in the Lake zone of Tanzania. Three variety of OFSP; Ejumla, Jewel, and Carrot Dar, were subjected to solar or sun-drying and subsequently processed into flour. The resulting flours were used to produce porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge). Conventional techniques were employed to evaluate the proximate composition, β-carotene, vitamin C, and micronutrient content of porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge). Additionally, sensory analysis was performed to assess the level of acceptability of the items' sensory qualities. There was a significant difference in moisture content, crude protein, and crude fat between porridge and Ugali (stiff porridge) for all three varieties of OFSP (p<0.05). Moreover, solar-dried products had higher retention of β-carotene (28.79 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (3.29-10.45 mg/100 g). Sun-dried products had lower mineral content than solar-dried products. There was also a significant difference (p<0.05) between solar and sun-dried products in all tested essential minerals. The nutrients analyzed were more concentrated in stiff porridge than in regular porridge, such as calcium (21.65mg/100g), potassium (90.70mg/100g), Sodium (169.98mg/100g), magnesium (13.26mg/100g) and zinc (0.51mg/100g). Solar-dried items had the highest acceptability scores (3.0–3.9) compared to sun-dried products, with Ejumla being the most preferred. The findings depict that solar drying preserves OFSP-based food's nutritional and sensory quality better. Solar-dried OFSP may reduce vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and improve nutritional security in Tanzania. VL - 13 IS - 3 ER -
Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
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