April 13, 2019
Purple Sweet Potato: A Crop of Global Importance
High in nutrients, minerals and antioxidants, purple sweet potatoes are one of the world's most nutritionally valuable crops — with 95% of cultivation in developing countries.
Due to their high levels of nutrients and minerals along with their resistant nature, sweet potatoes have become a crop of great importance globally. With 95% of sweet potato cultivation occurring in developing countries. It is evident from known research that this crop is considered to be a true 'superfood', and is often associated with famine relief. Sweet potatoes are known to contain high levels of phenolic acids and flavonoids, which are known to have an inverse correlation with the occurrence of many chronic diseases. While orange and white fleshed sweet potatoes are considered to be potent nutraceutical foods, purple sweet potatoes have been shown to have higher concentrations of bioactives and greater industrial and pharmaceutical applications. Purple sweet potatoes can contain anywhere from 4-7 times the amount of anthocyanins found in other types of sweet potatoes. These purple sweet potato anthocyanins have also been shown to maintain a high cell viability, and positively influence the growth of certain probiotic bacteria. Furthermore the bioactives are known to remain stable when exposed to processing heat from food preparation, thus retaining the health benefits through manufacturing. With over 200 citations in scientific papers, Beotanics’ purple sweet potato variety is recognised as one of the most valuable purple sweet potato cultivars available, due to its high anthocyanin content, yield and resilience.
Beotanics has been working with purple sweet potato since 2013 and has developed a deep understanding of how to cultivate this variety in European conditions. Our plant laboratory, BeoLab®, plays a central role in maintaining and propagating virus-clean stock plants, ensuring consistency and quality in every harvest. We work closely with Teagasc and university research partners to continue advancing the agronomic science behind this remarkable crop.
The global demand for natural colourants, functional ingredients, and clean-label food products continues to grow. Purple sweet potato is uniquely positioned to meet this demand, offering a versatile, plant-based solution for food and beverage manufacturers looking to enhance colour, nutrition, and consumer appeal — all from a single, sustainably grown ingredient.
