Nutritional Profiles, Functional Properties, and Sensory Characteristics of Crackers from Orange-fleshed and White-fleshed Sweet Potato Varieties

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition, functional properties, and sensory attributes of crackers made from four sweet potato varieties (two orange-fleshed and two white-fleshed) alongside wheat, as a control. Healthy sweet potato tubers and wheat were processed into flour, which was used to produce crackers. The resulting flours were analyzed for their functional properties, whereas the crackers were analyzed for their proximate, mineral, vitamin, and sensory properties. Proximate analysis of crackers revealed moisture content ranging from 10.25 – 13.47 %, crude protein 2.28 – 10.27 %, crude fiber 0.54 – 2.00 %, crude fat 1.24 – 2.19 %, ash 2.66 – 6.87 %, and carbohydrate content 68.89 – 88.75 %. Functional properties of the flour samples showed bulk density values between 0.35 – 0.65 g/ml, swelling index from 1.64 – 1.85 ml/g, oil absorption capacity from 2.16 – 2.17 g/ml, and water absorption capacity between 2.10 – 2.14 g/ml. Mineral and vitamin analyses of the crackers indicated calcium levels ranging from 0.03 – 9.51 mg/100g, sodium 6.00 – 10.20 mg/100g, potassium 0.18 – 432 mg/100g, iron 0.32 – 4.25 mg/100g, phosphorus 0.30–115 mg/100g, vitamin A 7.02 – 1050 µg/100g, and vitamin C 1.15 – 45.23 mg/100g. Sensory evaluation results demonstrated that crackers made from wheat flour were the most preferred, followed by those made from the orange-fleshed sweet potato variety Umuspo 3. From this study, incorporating sweet potato flour; a locally cultivated tuber into cracker production, offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to reduce wheat import dependency, thereby promoting food security and economic resilience.