Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato Puree: A Breakthrough Product for the Bakery Sector in Africa

Replacing some of the wheat flour in breads and pastries with OFSP (orange-fleshed sweetpotato) puree can increase the market demand for these nutritious varieties and would offer economic opportunities for smallholders, including women and youths. The technology to make sweetpotato puree has been well developed in industrialized countries since the 1960s. Techniques fine-tuned by RTB allow OFSP puree to be stored in plastic bags for 6 months, without refrigeration. Private companies in Malawi and Kenya are now manufacturing the puree and selling it to bakeries that substitute OFSP puree for up to 40% of the white wheat flour in bread and other baked goods. Consumers like the bread that is sold in supermarkets and bakeries. Food safety protocols ensure that the puree is part of safe, healthy products. The OFSP seed is available to smallholder farmers, who are linked with processors who buy the roots. Business models suggest that processing puree is profitable. The Scaling Readiness approach is helping to ensure that more farmers, processors, and consumers benefit from OFSP.