OFSP puree and products: Puree Production and Products for Sweet Potato

Effortless sweet potato puree, every time!

The OFSP (Orange-fleshed sweet potato) puree technology involves the conversion of fresh sweet potato tubers into a stable and versatile puree. The process includes cleaning, steaming, peeling, and mashing or pureeing the sweet potato flesh. This results in a smooth and uniform puree suitable for various food applications. Vacuum-packed storage technology with preservatives extends the shelf life of the puree. Hygiene and food safety practices are maintained throughout the process.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Does not improve environmental health

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Difficulty in Peeling: It's hard to remove the tough outer layer of sweet potatoes by hand.

Slow Cooking Process: Cooking sweet potatoes takes a long time when done without special machines.

Mashing is Tough: Making sweet potatoes smooth is a tough job.

Quality Control Challenges: It's not easy to make sure the puree is safe and good to eat.

Time-Consuming: Doing all these tasks by hand takes a lot of time and effort.

Inconsistent Results: Manual processes may lead to uneven or rough-textured puree.

Shorter Shelf Life: Without advanced technology, the puree might not last as long.

Solution

Effortlessly peels the tough outer layer, significantly expediting the process.
Cooks sweet potatoes swiftly, ensuring efficiency.
Transforms the cooked sweet potatoes into a smooth mixture.
Quality control is enhanced through automated checks, guaranteeing the puree's safety and high quality.
Increase production speed, making the process more efficient.
Delivers consistent results, ensuring a smooth texture every time.
Extends the puree's shelf life, ensuring it remains safe to eat for an extended period.

Key points to design your project

The OFSP Puree production and products technology presents a solution with profound impacts on nutrition, food security, and sustainable development. This innovative technology contributes to improving nutrition and food security by providing a versatile and nutritious alternative to traditional wheat-based products, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to zero hunger, good health and well-being, and sustainable agriculture, thus fostering a healthier and more sustainable future.

To integrate this technology into your project, a series of activities and prerequisites should be outlined:

Conduct awareness-raising campaigns and training sessions with cooperative and industrial food processors to highlight the benefits of OFSP puree and products production
Availability and continuous supply of quality OFSP roots,
Good supply chain management from farm to processing plant,
Information sharing with producers and processors to align expectations and roles,
Technical backstopping to factory staff and extension service providers,
Training of farmers in quality standards and post-harvest handling,
Consumer awareness and demand creation among farmers, producers, and consumers.

Consider the quantity and type of equipment required for the project. Include delivery, installation and training costs.

For example, a study in Kenya found that the cost of producing OFSP puree amounted to USD 0.53 per kilogram in a cottage-sized facility, which is below the current production cost of wheat flour at USD 0.61 per kilogram. Increasing the boiler equipment could decrease the manufacturing costs of sweet potato puree to USD 0.36 per kilogram.

Develop communication materials such as brochures, videos, and radio broadcasts to promote awareness and adoption of OFSP Puree production and products among farmers, processors, and consumers.

For enhanced optimization, consider associating with Orange-fleshed sweet potato, Community-based cutting production, Tent-style greenhouse production of vines and cuttings, Raised bed production and weed management, Specially blended fertilizers, Relay intercropping of legumes with sweet potato, Silage production from sweet potato vines technologies.

Collaborate with agricultural research institutions, extension services, and private sector partners to facilitate the dissemination and adoption of OFSP Puree production and products technology at scale.

0.36—0.53 USD

Per kilogram of OFSP puree production

18—42 %

Net profit margin

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Malawi	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Making sweet potato puree using technology to turn fresh, sweet potatoes into a smooth, mashed-up mixture.

Choosing Good Sweet Potatoes: First, we pick the best sweet potatoes that are fresh and not damaged.
Cleaning and Sorting: We wash the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt and check them for any bad spots.
Peeling and Trimming: We take off the tough outer layer and get rid of any parts that aren't good to eat.
Cooking: We use machines to cook the sweet potatoes until they're soft and easy to mash.
Mashing or Pureeing: After cooking, we use special machines to turn the sweet potatoes into a smooth mixture.
Straining (Optional): Sometimes, we filter out any bits that might make the mixture rough.
Checking for Quality: We make sure that the puree is really good quality and doesn't have anything extra in it.
Putting it in Packages: We then put the sweet potato puree into containers like cans, jars, or bags that keep it fresh.