Researchers at the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST), the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), and Sano Foods strive to include Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) puree in bread and other confectioneries to reduce the cost of bakers production.
The researchers disclosed that the root crop, due to its availability, short-term, and non-requirement of special enzymes, presents cost-saving opportunities for bakers and ensures food affordability for Nigerians. A researcher at FIIRO, Oluwatoyin Oluwole stated that “The conversion process of OFSP roots to puree for producing bread commercially is simple and it is available because Nigerian industries are producing OFSP puree”.
Oluwole also stated that “In 2021, FIIRO conducted an economic viability study which shows that the return on investment, net profit to sales, return on equity, and gross profit sales were, 28.34%, 10.92%, 70.84%, and 15.60% in the first investment year with the absolute profitability index of 3.2 and profitability index of 2.2.” He added that “All good indicators of the positive economic and commercial viability of investing into the production of bread with 20 percent OFSP inclusion in the existing commercial recipe.”
Researchers state that Nigeria’s yearly wheat importation is 4.2 million metric tons, and cost implication at $1.5 billion at the time when forex shortage is avoidable and unacceptable. The Ministry of Agriculture stated that Nigeria spent N2.2 trillion for the importation of wheat in four years. Presently, one kilo of wheat is sold for N280, while one kilo of OFSP puree is N180. Therefore this reduces the production cost for bakers by N100 on each kilo of OFSP puree in baking bread.
Researchers also stated that the OFSP puree is been used as an ingredient for the substitution of wheat flour in bread and it is being advocated as a crop for nutritional intervention to tackle the Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), a key public health challenge of food insecure and poorer economies. Experts stated that potato industrialization is important due to its short cycle of production which is between 3-5 months, cheaper, and better than the inclusion of cassava flour. There is a saying that the weight of a loaf is determined by the quantity and amount of dough baked, and the amount of carbon dioxide and moisture diffused from the loaf.
Recent experimental research shows margarine, colorless granulated sugar, heat flour, iodized salt, and yeast were purchased in a Lagos open market, while the orange-fleshed sweet potato puree was obtained from Sano Foods a top producer of the puree. The research revealed that in the evaluation of bread quality, loaf and specific volume are vital.
In addition, it reveals that loaf volume provides a quantitative measurement of the performance in baking as regards the bread crumb density and gluten strength. The research work concluded that the OFSP puree could be used at a 20 percent substitution level with a reduced level of sugar in the commercial recipe for the production of highly acceptable and nutritious bread.
Solomon Olufemi Afuape, head, Iresi Outstation, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike (NRCRI), said competitive advantages of industrializing the OFSP roots for a substitution include maturity within three to five months; production in almost all states of Nigeria; the country’s favorable condition; the output of over 4 million tons and is the second-highest producer in Africa. These, he added, make it economically viable and environmentally sustainable, and would stimulate job creation as more farmers would produce the root crop profitably.
