Enriched Potato for Mitigating Hidden Hunger

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is the most important non­grain food crop in the world, ranking third in terms of total production after rice and wheat and is one of main commercial crops grown in the country. Being a short duration crop, it produces more quantity of dry matter, edible energy, and edible protein in lesser duration of time than cereals like rice and wheat. Hence, potato may prove to be a useful tool to achieve the nutritional security of the nation. It can also be fitted suitably into different cropping systems. It is a highly nutritious, easily digestible, wholesome food containing carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and high­quality dietary fiber. It is a very popular food source for human health with potato protein “patatin” having high biological value than proteins of cereals and even better than that of milk and can be substituted for meat and milk products with improving taste, lowering energy intake, and reducing food cost. Boiled or baked potatoes are virtually fat­free and palatable and contain about 60– 80 % of the fatty acid which is composed of unsaturated fatty acids that increases the nutritive value of the potato fat. Consuming potatoes just once or twice each day lowers high blood pressure almost the same as oats without resulting in increase in weight. Potato protein has 18–20 essential amino acids in varying quantities along with various important minerals and trace elements. In addition, potato is used for various value­added products, viz., chips, French fries, cubes, granules, and canned products with high resistant starch and nutritional value. Its nutritional value can be greatly enhanced with diverse agricultural practices including the modern tools of biotechnology. This paper gives an insight on the role of potato – food for future – in the food security