Integrating consumer perception in the selection of purple‐skin sweet potato cultivars

Abstract BACKGROUND Sweet‐potato breeding programs need to integrate sensory characterization and hedonic perception to provide global markets with widely accepted products. The present work aimed to characterize a series of purple‐skin sweet potatoes differing in flesh coloration (from pale yellow to slight orange) from a sensory and physicochemical perspective. Uruguayan consumers' perceptions of the genotypes were also explored. Special focus was placed on the influence of flesh color on consumers' expectations and hedonic perception of purple‐skin sweet potatoes. RESULTS Sensory characterization based on projective mapping showed that the evaluated genotypes largely differed in their sensory characteristics in terms of flavor, texture, and color. Soluble solids and the concentration of individual sugars were not good predictors of sensory quality. In the appearance evaluation, consumers associated orange flesh with positive expected sensory characteristics and stronger liking. Flavor (sweetness and typical flavor) and texture (creaminess) were identified as key characteristics influencing consumers' liking and description of sweet‐potato samples. Among purple‐skin (‘criollo or boniato’ type) genotypes, INIA Cambará was identified as the closest to the ideal sweet potato and was described with the terms sweet , tasty , creamy , and characteristic flavor . CONCLUSION Flesh color was identified as a key driver of consumers' sensory and hedonic expectations. Results showed that Uruguayan consumers positively value traditional purple‐skin sweet potatoes with orange flesh, as it drives positive sensory expectations. However, after tasting, flesh color does not seem to have a relevant influence on consumer liking.