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

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

Inefficient processing: Manual peeling, cooking and mashing of OFSP roots are time- and labor-intensive, limiting processing capacity and increasing operational effort.
Inconsistent product quality: Manual processing can result in variations in texture, hygiene and product quality, making it difficult to consistently meet processing and market requirements.
Limited shelf life: Freshly processed OFSP puree deteriorates quickly without appropriate preservation and packaging, limiting storage, distribution and commercial use.

Solution

Efficient processing: Cleaning, steaming, peeling and mechanical pureeing streamline OFSP processing and increase production efficiency.
Consistent product quality: Standardized processing and hygiene practices improve puree consistency and support food safety requirements.
Extended shelf life: Vacuum packaging and appropriate preservation extend storage life, supporting distribution and commercial use.

Key points to design your business plan

This technology is beneficial for manufactures (Food processors):

Introducing Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) puree production and products technology into your business offers a sustainable solution to food processing, promoting agricultural efficiency and economic sustainability. To effectively integrate this technology:

Ensure the availability and continuous supply of quality OFSP roots.
Raise consumer awareness and create demand among consumers.
Obtain the required food processing equipment for converting sweet potato tubers into puree, ensuring efficient and hygienic production processes.
Adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards during puree production to maintain product quality, safety, and hygiene.
Consider the number and units of equipment needed, including 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.

Your potential consumers include supermarkets, bakeries, and other food processing businesses.

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

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

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.