VIETNAMESE IQF PURPLE SWEET POTATO: MEETING INTERNATION STANDARDS, CONQUERING DEMANDING MARTKETS

In the context of global integration, enhancing the value of Vietnamese agricultural products through modern preservation technology is an inevitable trend. Among them, IQF purple sweet potato — a frozen purple sweet potato product using quick freezing technology — is becoming a highlight, not only maintaining superior quality but also expanding export opportunities to many demanding markets.

Potential of Vietnamese Purple Sweet Potato

Purple sweet potato is a traditional crop that has long been grown in many regions such as Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Gia Lai… provinces Currently in Vietnam, there are several types of purple sweet potatoes as follows:

• Japanese Purple Sweet Potato (HL491): Deep purple flesh, delicious, high yield, rich in antioxidants.
• Purple Sweet Potato (Vinh Long): Chewy, sweet, famous for export.
• Australian Purple Sweet Potato (organically grown): Fragrant, creamy, nutritious, health-friendly.
• Bắc Kạn Purple Sweet Potato: Mildly sweet, suitable for mountainous areas.

These varieties differ in origin, yield, texture, and flesh color. The Japanese purple sweet potato variety (such as HL491) is widely cultivated, of high quality, rich in nutrients, and suitable for the international market.

With high nutritional content such as anthocyanins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, Vietnamese purple sweet potatoes are not only popular domestically but also have great export potential thanks to their health benefits. Potential markets for purple sweet potatoes include:

• Japan, South Korea, Taiwan: Favor Vietnamese purple sweet potatoes, especially frozen, dried, and powdered products.
• USA and EU: Increasing demand due to high awareness of health and plant-based foods.
• China: A traditional market, though with fluctuations due to import policies.

Moreover, the cultivation area of sweet potatoes (especially purple ones) in Vietnam is expanding to meet processing and export demands. Vietnamese enterprises are also capable of producing clean sweet potatoes according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards to serve official export channels.

Preservation and Export of Vietnamese Purple Sweet Potato Gradually Meet International Standards

Despite its great potential, preserving fresh purple sweet potatoes to maintain their color, flavor, and quality during export is a challenging task. Long transportation times, climatic conditions, and traditional preservation methods often reduce the product’s value. Therefore, modern technological solutions are needed to elevate this agricultural product.

To meet the strict requirements of international markets, many Vietnamese enterprises have equipped themselves with advanced preservation and quick-freezing technologies; simultaneously, they standardize processes for sorting, screening for metal residues and preservatives, as well as preprocessing and processing purple sweet potatoes.

IQF Technology in Preserving Purple Sweet Potato

IQF (Individual Quick Freezing) is a quick-freezing technology that freezes individual pieces rapidly in a short time without forming large ice crystals, thereby preserving the original texture, flavor, and nutrition.

Applying IQF technology to purple sweet potatoes helps process and preserve the product more effectively. It eliminates issues like mushiness, color loss, or nutrient degradation after thawing, allowing IQF purple sweet potatoes to retain quality almost as fresh as when just harvested.

Advantages of IQF Purple Sweet Potato

• Retains color, flavor, and nutritional content: Thanks to quick freezing, the purple sweet potato’s structure remains intact and preserves anthocyanins — valuable antioxidant compounds.
• Easy to store, transport, and process: The frozen purple sweet potato product can be stored for a long time at -18°C without affecting quality.
• Suitable for various applications in the food industry: Conveniently used for making snacks, cakes, soups, plant-based milk, eat-clean foods, and more.

Diverse Export Products of IQF Purple Sweet Potato

Vietnam’s exported purple sweet potato products are currently very diverse, contributing to increased value and meeting the demands of various markets. Besides fresh purple sweet potatoes—which require good preservation and fast transport—other processed forms such as dried and frozen purple sweet potatoes are also popular due to their long shelf life and convenience of use. Notably, purple sweet potato powder is a high value-added product widely applied in the food, beverage, confectionery, and cosmetic industries. Recent studies even show that purple sweet potato powder can be used for beer production and fermentation.

Additionally, processed products like cakes, snacks, and purple sweet potato noodles are becoming increasingly popular, aligning with modern consumer trends. In fact, some Vietnamese companies have successfully exported processed purple sweet potato products at prices 3 to 5 times higher than raw products, confirming the great potential for developing a deeper value chain for this agricultural commodity.

IQF Purple Sweet Potato Production Process of Hung Hau Foods

hung hau Foods is a pioneering enterprise in the field of processing and exporting agricultural products using modern technology. Currently, Hung Hau Foods is one of Vietnam’s leading companies specializing in exporting various fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables such as durian, dragon fruit, banana, pineapple, mango, watermelon, avocado, and purple sweet potato to 40 countries and territories. With over 10 years of experience, Hung Hau Foods has built a closed value chain from cultivation areas to production, meeting international standards.

For purple sweet potato products, Hung Hau Foods has signed cooperation agreements with certified farms in Vĩnh Long province and several other provinces nationwide to ensure supply and export quality of raw materials.

All purple sweet potatoes are carefully selected from standard raw material areas, thoroughly cleaned, and then quick-frozen using IQF technology. After that, the products are packaged according to the export requirements of partners.

Forms of Frozen Purple Sweet Potato:

Sliced, diced, randomly cut, whole tuber, or customized according to customer requirements.

The IQF purple sweet potato production process according to standards includes the following steps:

cleaning → peeling and cutting to required sizes → blanching → quick freezing (IQF) → packaging → quality inspection → warehousing.

Certifications and Standards of Hung Hau Foods’ IQF Purple Sweet Potato

Hung Hau Foods proudly holds many prestigious certifications such as ISO 22000, HACCP, FDA, and BRC, ensuring that their IQF purple sweet potato products are absolutely safe for both domestic and international consumers. These certifications demonstrate professional production capabilities and strict quality control processes, helping Hung Hau Foods build a strong reputation and attract international partners.

For frozen products—where hygiene, quality, and traceability are critically important—having certifications is an almost mandatory advantage for expanding into the global market. With experience and reputation in the production and processing of Vietnamese agricultural products, Hung Hau Foods’ products in general, and its IQF purple sweet potato products in particular, have reached many major markets such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, the EU, and the US, becoming a stable raw material source for food factories and international supermarket chains.

It can be said that Vietnamese IQF purple sweet potatoes are increasingly approaching international standards, gradually conquering demanding markets and elevating the value of Vietnamese agricultural products. To ensure quality and food safety, consumers as well as export partners should prioritize choosing reputable, capable, and experienced producers like Hung Hau Foods — a brand that has firmly established its position both domestically and internationally, working alongside farmers to help Vietnamese purple sweet potatoes reach further on the global agricultural map.

References
https://tapchinongnghiep.vn/vjard/article/view/180

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