Sweetpotato is an important food crop that comes in different varieties based on the color of the flesh. It has recent times been touted as a major food security crop for its affordability, availability, accessibility and nutritional values. Among other roots and tubers, it is placed first nutritionally and functionally. Characteristically, they are generally well adapted to an extended scope of ecologically different environments and can be cultivated even in instances of droughts. As environmentally friendly crops, they barely require the use of pesticides like the majority of other crops do. Their short growth cycles, minimal input requirements and wide adaptability to survive in drought and dry lands, favors sweetpotatoes’ suitability in any multiple cropping systems even without the need for synthetic fertilizers. The numerous challenges projected to accompany climate change such as reduced rainfall, increased temperatures, and alterations in soil nutrients are less likely to affect the growth and production systems of sweetpotatoes as they have minimal requirements.
The Purple-flesh variety is extremely rich in anthocyanins. These are antioxidants that help maintain and improve the human health by scavenging free radicals in the body. Their health benefits have been proven in many capacities to include anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects amongst others. Similarly, it has high fibre content which can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels thereby helping to prevent cardiovascular disease as well as improve digestive health, preventing constipation and other diseases like colon cancer. It is also rich in minerals (potassium, copper, manganese, and magnesium), vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, etc.) and proteins all with well-known health benefits. Collectively, these can help address the issue of malnutrition and is associated prevalence of stunted growth, underweight and persistent levels of malnutrition amongst women and children in Ghana and Africa; as well as other health problems across the various age groups.
This knowledge and various training programs through collaborative efforts, has created a demand for the roots despite its limited forms of utilization. The innovation is thus to make a drink from the juice extract of purple-flesh sweetpotato (PFSP) roots and then, mix with other ingredients. Customers will be consumers of non-alcoholic sweet beverages from all walks of life with an inclination for healthy and nutritious beverages without a compromise in the sensorial appeals of consumers most especially the taste factor.
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