DEHYDRATED SWEET POTATO AS A NEW ALTERNATIVE OF HEALTHY CONSUMPTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF HERMOSILLO, SONORA, MÉXICO

Abstract

Drying is a method of food preservation practiced since ancient times, which consists in extracting water by exposing the product to the sun and wind in order to prevent its deterioration. Water is usually removed by evaporation (drying in the air, in the sun, smoked or in the wind), but, in the case of lyophilization, food is frozen first and then the water is separated by sublimation. The present study evaluates the quality attributes that influence the consumption of dehydrated foods, such as sweet potatoes, applied to the population of Hermosillo, Sonora, with socioeconomic status C-, C and C +. In the methodological design the following actions were carried out: 1) a review of the specialized literature was carried out, and 2) in-depth interviews were applied, in order to support the validity of content and apparent of the proposed measurement scales. After the qualitative study, the results showed that the most relevant consumption attributes were the taste, the healthiness of the food, to name a few. These intrinsic and extrinsic properties should be considered when designing business strategies in marketing aspects.