Effects of Small-scale Processing on Shelf Life, Vitamin A Retention, and Sensory Acceptability of Mango, Orange-fleshed Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin in Northern Sierra Leone

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiency, particularly vitamin A deficiency, persists among women and young children in rural Sierra Leone despite the local availability of nutrient-rich indigenous foods, whose dietary contribution is constrained by extreme seasonality, high perishability, and low acceptability of raw forms. This study evaluated how simple, community-level processing affects the vitamin A content, shelf life, and sensory acceptability of three locally available species — mango (Mangifera indica), orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP; Ipomoea batatas), and pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) — in Bombali and Tonkolili Districts, Northern Sierra Leone. The core process was controlled low-temperature drying (solar and cabinet) of all three species into shelf-stable snacks; two blended products were additionally formulated, namely mango juice and a pumpkin–mango purée intended as a complementary food, which is why two final products were derived from three raw materials. Shelf life was defined as the number of days a product remained organoleptically acceptable under ambient storage. Vitamin A content was estimated from food-composition baselines adjusted by published nutrient-retention factors; acceptability was rated by a community sensory panel on 5-point and 9-point hedonic scales, and qualitative data from focus group discussions and key-informant interviews were analysed thematically. Processing extended mean shelf life more than tenfold (6.1 to 66.4 days) while reducing estimated mean vitamin A by 12.1% (701 to 616 µg). Acceptability rose significantly for all three product types (p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.32–0.37), and the two final products achieved high willingness-to-consume (mango juice 78%; purée 64%). The large gains in availability and acceptability outweigh the modest vitamin A loss; because the loss was sensitive to drying conditions, controlled low-temperature drying could narrow it further. These findings support embedding low-cost processing in nutrition programming for vulnerable rural populations.