Aplicación de tres niveles de ají en polvo en camote deshidratado.

Abstract

Sweetpotato is a non-conventional vegetable that has lost importance in the food industry therefore the cultivated area in Ecuador is minimal. However, it is a crop that is distributed throughout the country and is part of the farming systems of small and medium farmers who are unaware of its nutritional value and is frequently used in animal feed for pigs and cattle. For this reason, the objective of this research was to establish three levels of chili powder for a sweet potato snack that, by means of spectrophotometric, physicochemical and microbiological analysis and a sensory test, allows determining the quantity of vitamin C. The methodology applied had a quantitative approach since the data obtained from each treatment were compared and an experimental design was used due to the laboratory analyses carried out to identify the bromatological, physicochemical and microbiological results. By means of this methodology, it was determined that T3 (6%) achieved a higher value of 0.040 mg, showing that the greater the addition of chili powder, the greater the amount of Vitamin C obtained. It was also observed that the snacks complied with the physicochemical parameters of NTE INEN 2996:2015 by evidencing positive data within the ranges of the regulation and demonstrating an absence of microbial loads, in that context it is concluded that T2 was the level that the panelists liked the most with respect to color, odor, flavor, texture and spiciness with a margin of acceptability 65.26%. It is recommended that in order to avoid cross contamination in food processing, the regulations established in the laboratory or workplace should be followed throughout the research.