Current areas of research include: 1) new processing strategies to convert sweetpotatoes into functional ingredients that are readily available for the food processing industry; 2) functionality of these ingredients in various food systems; 3) nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals in sweetpotato products: selection of genotypes with increased concentrations of target components and optimization of processing conditions to minimize losses; 4) effects of processing and storage on chemical constituents related to textural properties, flavors and sensory characteristics of sweetpotato products.