Influence of Fermentation Period on Nutritional Composition and Sensory Attributes of Cassava-Orange Flesh Sweet Potato Pupuru

Pupuru, a cassava-derived food product, has gained significant popularity globally, with its demand steadily increasing. However, one of the major defects of pupuru is its lack of essential nutrients, particularly beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. The study explored the benefits of OFSP supplementation in cassava products to address regional dietary needs and boost nutritional content.Co-fermentation was carried out on blends of four cassava and orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) in the (ratio) of 75:25%, 25:75%, 50:50% and 0:100% (cas: ofsp) respectively. The products obtained were evaluated for proximate composition, anti-nutritional factors, and sensory properties using standard analytical methods. The result obtained for moisture, protein and fat for blends of (cas:ofsp) ranged for 75:25% (6.71- 9.93%), (4.45-5.11) and (0.17 - 0.82%) 50:50% blends (6.28 - 10.3%), (5.35– 5.46%) and (0.20-0.82%), 25:75% blends (6.59-9.85-%), (5.17-5.29%) and (0.60-0.84%), 0:100% blends (7.60-10.7%%), (4.50-4.99%) and (0.14-0.82%) from 0 to 96 hour. A reduction in total carbohydrate content was observed in all pupuru blends.The beta carotene content from the blended sample recorded 2.14mg/100g, 2.20mg/100g, 2.56mg/100g and 3.11mg/100g for the blended ratio. The result obtained for the phytate ranged {(2.51- 4.32) (2.23- 4.02) (2.23-3.45) (2.20-3.05) mg/100g} and oxalate {(38.8-80.63) (37.1-80.1) (37.5-80.8) (39.0-87.5) mg/100g} for 75:25%, 50:50%, 25:75% and 0:100% blends respectively. The sensory score indicated that 75:25% (cas:ofsp) at 72 h was the most acceptable when compared with the control samples and showed no significant differences (p>0.05). Aroma and colour were rated high for 75:25% (72 h) and 50:50% (96 hrs) (cas:ofsp) samples of pupuru analogue produced when compared with pupuru from 100 % cassava were preferred most. The analogue pupuru produced offers a promising solution to addressing micronutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin A deficiency, in regions where cassava is a staple food.