Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Raleigh, North Carolina » Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427092
Research Project: Improved Vegetable Processing Methods to Reduce Environmental Impact, Enhance Product Quality and Reduce Food Waste

Location: Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit

Title: Volatile compounds and sensory attributes that drive the flavors of cooked sweetpotato

Author
item MODESTA, ABUGU - North Carolina State University
item Johanningsmeier, Suzanne
item Allan, Matthew
item MASSIMO, LORIZZO - North Carolina State University
item KEN, PECOTA - North Carolina State University
item YENCHO, CRAIG - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/4/2026
Publication Date: 8/13/2026
Citation: Modesta, A., Johanningsmeier, S.D., Allan, M.C., Massimo, L., Ken, P., Yencho, C. 2026. Volatile compounds and sensory attributes that drive the flavors of cooked sweetpotato. Food Chemistry. 526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150697.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150697

Interpretive Summary: Flavor is one of the major drivers of consumer liking and acceptance of sweetpotatoes, but the composition of sweetpotato that yields particular flavors has not been fully elucidated. In this study, aromatic compound profiles were generated for more than 300 types of sweetpotatoes, enabling the selection of 42 types that represented the diversity of this large genetic mapping population. These sweetpotatoes were found to vary in the levels of thirteen flavor attributes, including a characteristic "sweetpotato" flavor, "caramel/sweet aromatics", "cooked carrot", "pumpkin/squash", "floral", "baked potato", "roasted chestnut", "earthy", and "cooked green" flavors. Statistical modeling identified the compounds that were important in predicting each of the flavors, including many compounds that appear important to flavor but have not yet been fully characterized. This research serves as the basis for identifying the components that are important to sweetpotato flavor to assist in the selection and development of consumer-preferred varieties.

Technical Abstract: A sweetpotato genetic mapping population (N=309) generated from parental lines with distinct flavor profiles was phenotyped for volatile organic compound (VOC) composition using GC×GC-ToFMS. Genotypes representing the diversity in VOC profiles (N=42) were selected for descriptive sensory analysis to establish relationships between composition and flavor. Genotypes were differentiated by 13 flavor attributes and 295 VOCs, including 158 reported for the first time in sweetpotato. “Sweetpotato” and “caramel/sweet aromatics” were dominant distinguishing flavors and positively associated with 2-furanmethanol. “Cooked carrot”, “pumpkin/squash”, and “floral” were moderately distinguishing attributes associated with D-limonene, 2-pinen-10-ol, and ß-ocimene, respectively. Some genotypes were characterized by “baked potato”, “roasted chestnut”, “earthy”, and/or “cooked green” flavors, which were positively associated with nerol oxide, 2-pinen-10-ol, phenylethyl alcohol, and (-)-(Z)-myrtanol. Notably, several of the top predictors of characteristic flavors were unidentified compounds. This research provides the framework for identifying VOCs important to sweetpotato flavor to guide varietal selection and improvement.