Bioscience Methods 2024, Vol.15, No.6, 275-288 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 275 Feature Review Open Access Advanced Processing Techniques and Applications for Value-Added Sweet Potato Products HuiqunWu Jinhua Jinling Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., Jinhua, 321000, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: 138339951@qq.com Bioscience Methods, 2024, Vol.15, No.6 doi: 10.5376/bm.2024.15.0028 Received: 11 Sep., 2024 Accepted: 21 Oct., 2024 Published: 11 Nov., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Wu, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Wu H.Q., 2024, Advanced processing techniques and applications for value-added sweet potato products, Bioscience Methods, 15(6): 275-288 (doi: 10.5376/bm.2024.15.0028) Abstract Sweet potato, a versatile crop, plays a significant role in both food production and industrial applications due to its nutritional value and functional properties. This study provides a comprehensive overview of sweet potato composition, including carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, and antioxidants, and discusses the physicochemical properties influencing processing outcomes across different cultivars. Key primary processing techniques, such as washing, peeling, slicing, drying, and freezing, are examined alongside advanced methods like extrusion, fermentation, starch modification, and high-pressure processing for value-added products. Emerging innovations, including pulsed electric field technology, microwave-assisted processing, enzyme-assisted extraction, and 3D food printing, are explored for their potential to enhance production efficiency. A case study on industrial-scale sweet potato flour production is provided, covering the processing steps, quality control, and market impact. This study also addresses challenges in processing, such as seasonal variability, shelf-life limitations, and environmental concerns, with recommendations for overcoming these barriers, and concludes by highlighting future trends, including functional food development, sustainable practices, and the integration of genetic engineering to optimize processing outcomes. This study aims to provide insights for stakeholders to leverage sweet potato’s potential and foster innovations in industrial applications. Keywords Sweet potato processing; Value-added products; Emerging technologies; Food industry applications; Sustainable processing practices 1 Introduction Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a globally significant crop, cultivated extensively in regions such as southern and eastern Africa, including Ethiopia (Mekonen et al., 2022). In water rich areas such as Zhejiang, where rice cultivation is the main crop, but sweet potatoes are the main food crop for residents in mountainous and semi mountainous areas as well as coastal islands due to the lack of freshwater resources.It is recognized for its rich nutritional profile, which includes complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds (Escobar-Puentes et al., 2022; Laveriano-Santos et al., 2022). The tubers are not only a staple food source but also possess various health-promoting properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities (Bach et al., 2021; Yvonne and Pontsho, 2023). Additionally, sweet potato leaves, often discarded during harvesting, have potential for upcycling into high-value food products due to their bioactive constituents (Toy et al., 2022). Sweet potato's versatility extends beyond its role as a food crop. It serves as a source of slowly digestible and resistant starch, making it valuable for the food industry (Bach et al., 2021). The crop's bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and anthocyanins, contribute to its health benefits, which include cardiovascular protection and metabolic disorder management (Alam, 2021; Yvonne and Pontsho, 2023). Furthermore, sweet potato by-products, such as leaves, can be utilized to combat obesity through their lipase inhibitory activity (Toy et al., 2022). The diverse applications of sweet potato in food and industrial sectors underscore its importance as a multifunctional raw material. This study provides a comprehensive overview of various processing techniques for sweet potatoes and their impact on nutritional and functional properties, examining methods such as boiling, frying, baking, and steaming to highlight how these processes affect macronutrients, vitamin content, and bioactive compounds across different
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