Effah-Manu L, Oduro I and Addo A
Dextrinization of sweet potato and its effect on physicochemical and sensory quality of mango-sweet potato leathers was studied. Sweet potatoes were dextrinized in an oven at different temperatures (150-200°C) and time (2, 2.5 and 3.0 h) for optimization using completely randomized design. Maximum dextrin of 19.41 was formed at 190-200°C. Water activity and pH ranged from 0.61-0.63 and 4.2-4.33 respectively and vitamin C increased with the addition of sweet potato. The overall acceptability was high (1.58-1.63) but non-significant (p < 0.05) with the amount of sweet potato added. The mouth feel was disliked slightly (4.06-4.40) by panellists but colour, smell and taste were rated high (1.00-0.97). Dextrinization of sweet potatoes could be considered as an excellent substitute in food applications like fruit leathers production and hence provide alternative products for health conscious consumers.