PHYSICAL, COMPOSITIONAL, AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF FRENCH FRY-TYPE PRODUCTS FROM 5 SWEET-POTATO SELECTIONS

Strips from five sweetpotato (SP) cultivars (cv.) representing two dif ferent texture/flavor types were prepared and frozen. They were fried and their flavor and texture evaluated by sensory panels. Selected phy sical and compositional analyses were performed on raw and fried SP. A n untrained preference panel tended to score the flavor of the sweeter types highest and the texture of the firm types higher than sweet typ es. A trained profile panel identified and scored flavor notes and tex ture categories. This research indicated that the intensity of the fla vor notes sweetness and starch and the intensity of texture notes firs t-bite moistness and first-bite hardness were highly correlated with s ome of the compositional parameters. Correlation between compositional parameters and the flavor and texture note intensities listed above c ould be developed into a system to predict those sensory properties in newly developed selections without having to resort to sensory analys es.