Date of Award

12-2008

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Campus-Only Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Food Science and Human Nutrition

Advisor

Mary Ellen Camire

Second Committee Member

Alfred Bushway

Third Committee Member

Armand Cardello

Abstract

The potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) has been an important food in many cultures. The potato's nutritional content and its ability to grow in a variety of differing climates have led to its inclusion into the human diet. With increasing concerns about obesity and related health problems, such as diabetes, food is coming under increasingly intense scrutiny about its role in the obesity epidemic and how to fight it. The potato is no exception. The objective of this study was to measure the influence of four types of potato on satiety and other related responses against rice, which served as a control. The four potato cultivars studied were Burbank Russet, Carola, All Blue, and Chieftain. Store-bought Minute® White Rice served as the control for this study. Twenty-six women between the ages of 30 and 50 were recruited and consumed each potato variety and the rice as a meal component once a week for five weeks. Participants ate an ad libitum breakfast that they selected from the options offered. At each testing session, participants were fed a 148 gram serving of one of the randomly assigned potato varieties or one serving of rice in conjunction with a 3 oz grilled chicken breast and 1 serving of mixed vegetables. Participants were asked to rate the hedonics of each complete meal and potato or rice serving as well as their feelings of satiety. Satiety ratings were completed on the Satiety Labeling and Intensity Magnitude (SLIM) scale over a period of 165 minutes. Participants were also asked to record their food intake for the rest of the day after each testing session. Results were compiled for each participant and analyzed for statistically significant differences. No significant differences were found among the potato varieties or rice in terms of feelings of satiety. The flavor of All Blue potatoes was liked better than that for Chieftain samples (p≤ 0.05). Rice smell and taste was liked less than the smell of All Blue and Russett potatoes (p=0.05). The overall acceptability ratings of All Blue and Russet potatoes were higher than the rice rating (p≤0.05). Part of the appeal of the All Blue was its novelty. Virtually every subject screened and tested had never tried or was familiar with the All Blue variety of potatoes. Often the potato is being excluded from the table with the misconception that it is "unhealthy". With this in mind, substituting one of the four potato varieties with rice would actually provide more nutritional benefits for consumers. The added benefits of anthocyanins found in the Chieftains and All Blues could increase antioxidants in the diet. Further research should evaluate standard single serving potato meals, and potato varieties often seen as novel to eventually introduce more variety to the typical American table.

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