Investigating carotenoid loss after drying and storage of

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1. Literature review
slices are called ‘amokeke’ in Soroti and Kumi districts or ‘kaseede’ in Luwero district.
Amokeke is reconstituted as a breakfast food during the dry season. Dried crushed roots
are known as ‘inginyo’ (Figure 1-4) in Soroti and Kumi districts.
Figure 1-4: Inginyo drying on large rocks in Soroti District, Uganda (December 06).
A. Bechoff.
Inginoyo is used to make flour and is mixed with sorghum to produce a stiff porridge
called ‘atapa’, a main meal food in some regions (Hagenimana and Owori 1996; Hall et
al. 1998). Flour or dried sweet potato slices can be re-hydrated in boiling water (Hall et
al.1998). The dried sweet potato can be also boiled with sauces or tea (Hagenimana and
Owori 1996). Inginoyo is stored for longer (6 months) than amokeke (4-6 months).
Amokeke has been found to be infested by the lesser grain borer after 4-5 months of
storage leading to significant product loss (Hall et al. 1998). The two products are
generally stored separately in the same granary or in separate granaries. Hall et al.
(1998) and Owori and Agona (2003) reported that re-drying amokeke was a solution to
conserve it longer probably because of the uptake of moisture during storage that
favours insect contamination. Some sweet potato varieties, for example, Odepalap and
Ateseke are reported to store longer than others. However farmers do not separate dried
slices from different varieties (Hall et al. 1998; Owori and Agona 2003). Although
drying of sweet potato is more scarce than in Uganda, some practices have been reported
in Mozambique, in the province of Zambezia (R. Dove; C. Coote, 2008 personal