Gummy Candy Enriched With Beta-carotene From Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato and Mango
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Date
2025-06-10
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Uganda Christian University
Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a prevalent public health challenge in Uganda, especially among children and women, making the development of food-based interventions necessary. This study aimed to develop beta-carotene-fortified gummy candies using orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and mango by optimising the formulation of the candy with respect to consumer acceptability and analysing the beta-carotene and vitamin A content of the optimised formulation. An experimental design was used, particularly Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimise the ingredients, i.e Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP), gelatin, and honey. Beta-carotene content was analysed using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The optimised formulation contained 68.6% OFSP, 5.50% gelatin, and 15% honey and beta-carotene content of 3.225 ± 0.003 mg/kg, which is 26.9 µg RAE/100g, providing only 6.7% of a child’s daily vitamin A requirement. Further research should investigate beta-carotene retention during processing and storage, and comparison tests with other commercial products should be done. This study can improve food biofortification and food nutrition security.