Suplementação nutricional de alimentos utilizando a farinha de batata (ipomoea batatas) para a produção de biscoitos

Abstract

White sweet potato (Ipomoea potatoes) is a tuber that belongs to the Convolvulaceae family known as newfoundland, and is a variety of potato with white skin and pulp. It is believed that this potato originated between Central and South America many years ago, and was of great importance in the diet of many countries, especially in cold seasons, due to the quantity and quality of its nutritional value. Therefore, consuming foods with a high carbohydrate and fiber content is one of the best methods for combating nutritional deficiencies and achieving greater satiety. The need for foods with high nutritional and economic values affects a large part of the population, making the potato, which has a low cost and sustainable production, one of the most widely used basic crops throughout the world, combating and contributing to the enrichment of the diet of individuals as a whole with these nutritional values. Furthermore, part of the sweet potato produced in the world is focused on its pulp, however, studies indicate that the peel also has nutritional values for human consumption. In order to evaluate the potential for using white sweet potatoes, the present work aims to use the skin and pulp of white sweet potatoes to obtain a nutritious flour for making cookies. The sweet potatoes underwent cleaning, fragmentation, drying and crushing to generate flour. Soon after, a physical-chemical characterization of this flour was carried out, determining moisture, protein, lipid, ash and total carbohydrate content. A microbiological analysis was then carried out, showing that the material was free from contamination and that the flour was ready to be consumed. White sweet potato flour was used to make 4 cookies with different proportions of flour, totally or partially replacing wheat flour. These cookies were evaluated by sensory analysis, with the composition being 50/50 (sweet potato flour and wheat flour), which obtained a higher average (7.68) in relation to other cookies, showing the viability of the product. and greater acceptance among tasters. The other cookies also showed acceptance close to this average, thus showing that all formulations were well accepted. In short, the production of this flour offers a solution to supplement and contribute to a healthier diet.