Formulation, analyses and acceptability of sweet potato-purple yam ice cream with chili

This study aimed to help mitigate food wastage and poverty by developing and evaluating the formulation, analysis, and acceptability of sweet potato-purple yam ice cream with chili. The research aimed to formulate and evaluate the sensory qualities—appearance, aroma, taste, and texture—of the ice cream, determine consumer acceptability, assess differences in sensory attributes, and evaluate shelf life at freezing temperature. The best-performing variant underwent microbial and proximate analyses. The method used in this study was the experimental-developmental method of research using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), the study included three replications, ten semi-trained panelists, and 100 consumer evaluators. A Nine-Point Hedonic Scale was used for evaluation, and data were analyzed using mean and ANOVA.Result showed from sensory evaluation of sweet potato - purple yam ice cream with chili showed that Treatment B (75g sweet potato & 25g purple yam) consistently received the highest ratings in the sensory evaluation of sweet potato–purple yam ice cream with chili. It was rated as very much appealing in appearance, extremely appealing in aroma, extremely delicious in taste, and extremely creamy in texture. as evaluated by the semi-trained panelists. Furthermore, the consumer’s general acceptability of sweet potato - purple yam ice cream with chili showed that Treatment B (75g sweet potato & 25g purple yam) was also described as liked extremely in all aspects—appearance, aroma, taste, texture and acceptability—making it the most preferred formulation by the evaluators. There was a significant difference in the sensory qualities of sweet potato - purple yam ice cream with chili among three treatments in terms of appearance, aroma and taste. While there was no significant difference in the sensory qualities of sweet potato - purple yam ice cream with chili in terms of texture. There was a significant difference in the general acceptability of sweet potato - purple yam ice cream with chili among three treatments in terms of appearance, aroma, taste and texture. Among the three treatments, Treatment B (75g sweet potato & 25g purple yam) was selected for further testing. Microbial and proximate analyses confirmed its safety, nutritional value, and potential for longer shelf life, reinforcing its suitability for commercialization and use in sustainable food product development.