Consumer acceptance of nutrient enhanced porridge from orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, grain amaranth, biofortified bean and maize flour

Sensory acceptability of and their willingness to purchase value-added products are significant factors influencing consumption of and commercial potential for such products. This study aimed to determine the consumer acceptability of nutrient-enhanced porridges containing orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), grain amaranth, biofortified beans, and maize flour, as well as willingness of consumers to purchase and consume the new products. Porridge prepared from four composite flours, made from OFSP, biofortified bean, maize and grain amaranth using formulations optimised using response surface methodology, were compared to one made from a commercial composite flour (control). Samples were evaluated by 50 consumers (26 females, 24 males) using a 9-point hedonic scale for sensory acceptance and a 5-point Likert scale for willingness to buy. Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to understand the relationship between sensory attributes and consumer’s overall liking. The study found that the new OFSP-based composite porridges were equally acceptable to consumers as commercial porridges (5.14–7.14). Mouthfeel and taste were the major contributors to overall acceptability. Panelists indicated higher likelihood (52%) to purchase the raw composite flours comprised of 20% OFSP, 30% maize, 40% bean, 10% grain amaranth (RF1) and the extruded composite comprised of 49% OFSP, 5.9% maize, 35.1% bean, and 10% grain amaranth (EF2). The majority of panelists were willing to pay < Ugx 5000 for extruded flour (EF2) and between 5000 and 10000 for the raw flour (RF2). The results show that the formulations resulted acceptable nutritionally enhanced porridges, with good prospects for success on the market.