Acceptability and prospects of integrating sweet potato into dietary habits: Insights from Eritrea.

Autor: Kidane, Tesfai Tsegai, Sibhatu, Kibrom T.
Zdroj: World Food Policy; Nov2024, Vol. 10 Issue 2, p169-179, 11p
Abstrakt: Popularity of yellow‐fleshed sweet potato is rising due to its versatility, nutritional richness, and environmental advantages, particularly in countries across sub‐Saharan Africa and the Sahel region. Many countries in the region have made efforts to incorporate vitamin A varieties of sweet potato into their farming systems and diets. However, research on the acceptability of sweet potato dishes in these regions is limited. This study aims to fill this gap by providing empirical evidence on acceptability of sweet potato dishes and the comparative preferences of consumers for different value‐added sweet potato‐based meals using sensory analyses of 13 dishes and 55 panelists in Eritrea. We find a significant acceptance level, with a mean score of 4.21 out of 5. Certain products, such as low‐added sugar biscuits (mean score of 4.70 out of 5), low‐added sugar jams (4.56 out of 5), bread (4.59 out of 5), chips (4.56 out of 5), and stew (4.38 out of 5), have emerged as favorites, offering opportunities for agribusiness and household adoption. These findings suggest promising potential for integrating sweet potatoes into diets across these regions. However, the current lack of demand is might be due to inadequate investment in promotions, until a critical mass of adopters is reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Databáze: Complementary Index