rice flour

thermal processing

tuber yield

postharvest storage

grain moisture

potato solanum

plant production

potato starch

cassava starch

postharvest losses

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

In developing countries, where limited transport infrastructure exists, processing the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) into flour provides an alternative to the difficulties associated with storage and transport of the raw roots. The objectives of this study were: (1) to process hydroponic sweet potato roots into flour; and (2) to evaluate the nutritive composition and the color of the processed hydroponic sweet potato flour during storage. The TU–82–155 hydroponic sweet potatoes were processed into flour and stored for five months at room and refrigerated temperatures. The sweet potato flour contained 3.0%, 4.5%, 1.0%, 1.0%, 90.6% moisture, ash, fat, protein, and carbohydrate, respectively, with no significant changes during storage. The *L values for the sweet potato flour increased as storage time increased, but the *a and *b values decreased. Hydroponic sweet potato roots could be processed into flour and stored at 4C or 21C to 25C for five months without deterioration in quality.

PRODUCTION AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF A HYDROPONIC SWEET POTATO FLOUR DURING EXTENDED STORAGE