Preparation and Characterization of Sweetpotato Peels for use as Dietary Fiber Enhancement in Space Foods 2007-01-3053

The study prepared and characterized sweetpotato peels (SPP) for use as a dietary fiber supplement in space foods. SPP were fresh, dehydrated, blanched/dehydrated, frozen/dehydrated, freeze-dried, and blanched/freeze-dried. Total fiber, β-carotene, water-, oil-holding and swelling capacity, moisture, ash, protein, water activity and vitamin C were measured. Fresh SPP had 7.8% total fiber, 5.2 and 2.6% being dietary (insoluble) and functional (soluble) fibers, respectively. The total fiber content of the dehydrated SPP was 33.7% with roughly 11% functional fiber. β-carotene contents for the SPP were 23,040, 17,280 and 16,860 µg/100 g for blanched/freeze-dried, blanched, freeze-dried SPP, respectively. The fresh peels contained 4,848 µg/100 g β-carotene. The water holding capacity of the blanched/freeze-dried, blanched and dehydrated SPP were 15.6±1.4, 13.9±0.4 and 11.1±0.6 g/g, respectively. The oil holding capacity of the freeze-dried SPP (8.3±1.1) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than all the others except the blanched/freeze-dried peels. SPP is a potentially good source of dietary fiber for enhancement of space foods.