The use of sensory evaluation and consumer preference for the selection of sweetpotato cultivars in East Africa

Abstract

Sweetpotato is an important staple crop in East Africa with great potential for introducing improved cultivars, but little is known about which sensory characteristics are desirable. Over a 2 year period, 600 consumers were interviewed at three locations (urban and rural) in the Lake Zone of Tanzania and their preference of 14 locally available sweetpotato cultivars in cooked form was evaluated. A simple questionnaire based on consumers first-choice preference was used followed by socio-economic questions. A trained sensory panel profiled the cooked sweetpotato samples, enabling comparisons with preference, location and season. Cluster analysis based on the sensory attributes was used to classify the cultivars into three groups; one cluster comprised the most preferred cultivars and another contained the least. Some cultivars were consistently preferred over the 2 year period while others were not. The location where the cultivars were grown also influenced preference. Stepwise regression indicated that the most discriminating sensory attributes were starch and stickiness. Target levels based on the mean intensity scores of these attributes are suggested as a means of screening new cultivars. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Sweet Potato Value Chain Analysis Reveals Opportunities for Increased Income and Food Security in Northern Ghana

“…Undoubtedly, the decision to adopt a new cultivar is complexly related to field and yield performance as well as market and consumer taste acceptability. Earlier attempts to introduce orange-fleshed cultivars from Taiwan, Mainland China, and IITA failed because of their low dry matter content and squash-like flavour [27]. However, consumer acceptance has improved tremendously due to several research and promotions to address these weaknesses in countries such as Mozambique [28], Kenya [29], Ghana [30], and Tanzania [31].…”

Constraints and Breeding Priorities for Increased Sweetpotato Utilization in Ghana

“…Consumer taste, preference and acceptance are critical in determining the degree of suitability of sweetpotato cultivars to any locality (Kwach et al, 2010;Tomlins et al, 2004). Food preferences may vary among individuals, age groups, gender and sometimes cultures as well as geographical locations (Sugri et al, 2012).…”

Wound healing and dry matter content of orange-fleshed sweetpotato cultivars as influenced by curing methods

“…Such characteristic is an important root quality trait for OFSP since most consumers in Africa prefer high dry matter content cultivars (Tomlins et al 2004;Baafi et al 2015). The dry matter content of Nane was fairly stable compared with Apomuden's, which varied greatly throughout the curing period ( Figure 6).…”