Hindawi
Journal of Food Quality
Volume 2022, Article ID 5604342, 16 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5604342
Research Article
Process and Product Characterization of Aliha, A Maize-Based
Ghanaian Indigenous Fermented Beverage
Felix Kwashie Madilo ,1,2 Angela Parry-Hanson Kunadu ,2 Kwaku Tano-Debrah,2
Gloria Ivy Mensah,3 Kwesi Firibu Saalia,2 and Unathi Kolanisi4
1Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Ho Technical University, Volta Region,
Ho, Ghana
2Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Greater Accra Region, Legon Accra, Ghana
3Bateriology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Greater Accra Region,
Legon Accra, Ghana
4Department of Consumer Science, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Zululand, Richards Bay, South Africa
Correspondence should be addressed to Felix KwashieMadilo; fmadilo@htu.edu.gh andAngela Parry-HansonKunadu;
aparry-hansen@gmail.com
Received 27 April 2022; Revised 6 June 2022; Accepted 28 June 2022; Published 30 July 2022
Academic Editor: Parise Adadi
Copyright © 2022 Felix Kwashie Madilo et al. ,is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Aliha is a maize-based traditional fermented beverage prepared and consumed in Ghana, predominantly in the Volta Region and
other parts of Ghana. ,e study sought to characterize the production processes, the nutritional values, and microbial com-
position of aliha. A total of 126 aliha producers in the Volta, Greater Accra, and Ashanti Regions were sampled using snowballing
to identify and to recruit the producers for the study, using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. ,e physicochemical and
microbial composition were carried out using standard methods. Four different production techniques were identified across the
production sites. ,e variations identified during the production existed across the production chain. ,e main ingredients used
for aliha production are corn, caramel, sugar, and water. However, aliha produced by the ‘original’ method (DN2) presented the
best nutritional values (proteins, energy, and calcium), followed by backslopping techniques, AG1 (total carbohydrates and ash),
and AG2 (fats and oils and phosphorus). Fungi and Enterobacteriaceae dominated the initial fermentation stages (24 h) with low
acid values. However, as the fermentation time increased from 24 h to 72 h, the acid contents of the fermenting beverage increased
sharply leading to a drastic reduction of fungi and Enterobacteriaceae contents with increasing records of lactic acid bacterial
counts. Even though DN2 presented the best nutritional values, it was highly contaminated. Hence, the producers must be
encouraged to use backslopping techniques for safety and to shorten the duration of production.
1. Introduction reduces cooking times and fuel requirements [1]. Some
examples of cereal-based fermented beverages with their
Cereal-based foods account for as much as 77% of total local names in Africa include Burukutu (Ethiopia, Nigeria);
caloric consumption and contribute significantly to the Pito and Kaffir beer (Ghana); Busaa (Nigeria); Merissa
dietary protein intake in Africa [1]. Most cereal-based tra- (Zambia); Seketeh (Nigeria); Bouza (Egypt); Mahewu or
ditional foods and beverages in Africa are processed through Magou (South Africa) [2]. For most of these cereal-based
natural fermentation. Fermentation as a processing tech- beverages, maize or sorghum is the predominant cereal used
nique is used to preserve substantial amounts of food and as raw material in their processing.
beverages through lactic acid, alcohol, acetic acid, and al- Aliha is a traditional fermented beverage prepared and
kaline fermentation. ,e process of fermentation also consumed in several communities in the Volta Region of
2 Journal of Food Quality
Ghana.,e etymology of the name aliha was coined from its the predominant aliha production regions. A semistructured
indigenous origins in the Ewe language of Ketu South of the questionnaire was developed to investigate the production
Volta region of Ghana, where it is known to be produced techniques. ,e questionnaire was structured into three
using ‘hali’ (corn malt) and allowed to ferment (aha), hence, sections with seventeen questions. Section A dealt with
the name. During preparation, corn is steeped, malted, demographic characteristics such gender, age, education,
milled, mashed, boiled, and fermented, and the fermented marital status, and primary and secondary occupations;
wort is caramelized before consumption. Nonpackaged or section B contained fourteen questions based on production;
refrigerated aliha has to be consumed within few hours; else, and section C contained three questions based on product
fermentation will advance to a point where the beverage will quality control. ,e questionnaire was validated by experts
become too sour for human consumption. Aliha is con- in beverage production and piloted among five (5) producers
sidered by the local consumers as a refreshing drink. It is also from Tregui, a village in Keta District, and Adina-Amutinu,
a source of essential nutrients and has medicinal values; twin villages in Ketu-South Municipal. ,ese villages were
hence, it is consumed throughout the day. Currently, it is eventually excluded from the sampling plan. ,e feedback
prepared, marketed, and consumed in all the sixteen (16) from the piloting was used to modify the questionnaire,
political regions in Ghana. which was used for the data collection in the study.
Additionally, due to extensive efforts that have been put
into studying the nutritional importance of beverages such
as kwete (maize and millet-based beverage from Uganda), 2.2. Sampling Technique and Sample Size. Snowballing, a
mangisi (Zimbabwean beverage produced from millet malt), nonprobability method was used to identify aliha producers
pito (millet-based, Ghana), burukutu (Nigerian beverage in the Volta, Ashanti, Northern, Greater Accra, Central and
produced from guinea corn), amgba (sorghum-based opa- Eastern Regions of Ghana. Based on the number of pro-
gue beer produced by Cameroonians), dolo (sorghum beer ducers identified in these regions, Volta, Ashanti, and
produced by Burkina- Faso), kunu-zaki (millet-based bev- Greater Accra Regions were chosen for the study. Due to the
erage produced by Nigerians), and many others during their unwillingness of some of the producers to give out the
fermentations, most of these beverages have been com- needed information, a convenient sampling technique was
mercialized. However, the nutritional composition of aliha used to recruit one hundred and twenty-six producers (126)
is yet to be investigated. across the three regions. ,e distribution of the sample size
,e fermentation of the most traditional beverages is is presented in Table 1.
initiated by the action of fungi (alcohol fermentation), and
lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (lactic acid fermentation) for 2.3. Sample Collection. Due to the variations that exist in the
unique and pleasant sensory properties. As the fermentation production processes of traditionally prepared aliha, the
period increases, several bacterial, mold, and yeast species purposive sampling method was used to select five (5)
appear at the various stages including the final products, producers: two each from Anloga (AG1, AG2) and Denu
making it difficult to determine the quality of the final (DN1, DN2) in the Volta region and one from Madina,
products [3, 4]. Unlike other fermented beverages (pito, Greater Accra Region of Ghana (ACC) for sample collection.
mahewu, dolo, burukutu, and busaa), there is limited in- A total of thirty (30) samples were collected, three (3) from
formation about the production process and the microbial each producer in duplicate. At each of the sampling points
community associated with aliha. Pérez-Armendáriz and (0 h, 24 h, and 72 h), about 500ml of the aliha samples were
Cardoso-Ugarte [3] reported that several species of Enter- collected in duplicates in sterilized bottles and transported
obacteriaceae, fungi, and LAB were isolated from all the immediately after collection on ice to the University of
fermentation stages of pozol. Robledo-Marquez et al. [5] Ghana, Microbiology laboratory of Nutrition and Food
added that as the fermentation time of pozo increased, the Science Department to obtain the microbial pellets for
acidity of the fermenting wort increased, which led to a further analysis. Ten milliliters from each of the samples was
significant reduction of Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts, and centrifuged (Centric 150, Clifton) at 7,500 rpm for 10mins.
molds in the final beverage. Due to diversity of microbiota, ,e pellets were kept in 30% glycerol at −20°C until they
which characterizes the spontaneous fermented products, were transported on ice to South Africa, University of
their qualities and safety may not be assured. Hence, this Zululand, Consumer Science Department for microbial
study was designed to evaluate the production techniques, identification. Ethical clearance certificate for the study was
the nutritional values, and the microbial qualities of aliha. obtained from Ethics Committee for Basic and Applied
Sciences (ECBAS), University of Ghana.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Survey on Aliha Production. A survey of aliha pro- 2.4. Determination of Changes in Temperature, pH, and Ti-
duction was conducted in the Volta Region Keta Municipal tratableAcidityofAlihaSamples. ,e temperature and pH of
(Anloga, Keta, Dzita and Dzelukope), Ketu South Municipal the aliha were checked immediately after sampling using
(Denu, Agbozume and Aflao), Ho Metropolis (Ho Central; digital thermometer [Major Tech (PTY) LTD, MT630,
Greater Accra Region (Madina and Teshie Salem), and Isando 1600, South Africa] and pH meter (Crison Instru-
Ashanti Region (Anloga Junction, Ayeduase and Ayigya) of ment, S.A. Riera Principal, 34–36 E-08328 Alel-
Ghana (Figure 1). ,ese sites were chosen because they were la—Barcelona), respectively. Using phenolphthalein
Journal of Food Quality 3
Regional_Boundary
Ghana Districts.
Study Towns
Selected Dist. of GAMA
Kumasi Metropolis
Ho Municipal
Kilometers Ketu South Municipal
0 10 20 40 60 80 Keta Municipal
680000.000000 750000.000000 820000.000000 890000.000000 960000.00000
Figure 1: Part of map of Ghana indicating the studied Municipals and Districts.
Table 1: Sample size distribution across the selected regions.
Region/Municipal Town Producers Total
Volta 105
Anloga 22
Keta Municipal Dzita 10Dzelukope 9
Keta 7
denu 14
Ketu South Municipal Agbozume 17
Aflao 16
Ho Municipal Ho central 10
15
Greater accra Medina 5Teshie salem 3
Lapaz 7
Ashanti 6
Anloga junction 3
Kumasi Metropolis Ayeduase 1
Ayigya 2
Total — — 126
560000.000000 600000.000000 640000.000000 680000.000000 720000.000000 760000.000000
4 Journal of Food Quality
indicator, total titratable acidity was determined by titrating a 0.1M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution [6]. ,e per-
a mixture of 10mL sample and 90mL distilled water against centage acid was calculated using the following formula:
ml of 0: 1MNaOH × normality of NaOH × molweight of acid
%Lactic Acid � . (1)
10ml of sample
millimeter. Plates (10−5) with discrete colonies were se-
lected, and four (4) representative colonies from a
quadrant of the plates were picked randomly and trans-
2.5. Proximate Analysis of Traditional Fermented Aliha. ferred into 10ml MRS broth for LAB, Nutrient broth
Moisture, ash, protein, calcium, and phosphorus of aliha (OXOID, CM0001) for Enterobacteriaceae and fungi. ,e
were determined as described by AOAC [6]. While total tubes were incubated using the incubation conditions
fats (Werner Scmid), energy (Atwater factor) and iron described above. ,ey were subsequently subcultured on
(2,2—bipyridyl Calorimetric) were analyzed using their their respective media to obtain pure cultures. ,e cul-
corresponding methods, total carbohydrates including tures were then stored at −80°C in sterile Eppendorf tubes
fiber determinations were done by calculation [% containing MRS broth (LAB) and Nutrient broth
TC � 100−% (moisture + protein + fat + ash)]. ,e alcohol (Enterobacteriaceae and fungi) supplemented with 30%
content was measured using the following method: after (v/v) glycerol as cryoprotectant for further analysis.
aliha was properly mixed, a drop was made onto the lens
of the Abbe refractometer (2WAJ, Optika, Italy), and the
refractive index was taken. ,e alcohol content was de- 2.7. Statistical Analysis. All data collected were presented on
termined after comparing the values using the refractive excel sheet, imported, and coded into the Statistical Package
index table. ,e analyses were done in the Analytical and for Social Scientists (SPSS) for windows, version IBM 25.0.
Microbiological Testing Laboratory of Food and Cosmetic Frequencies were generated using descriptive analysis.
Technologies, Durban, South Africa, and repeated in the Significant differences were determined using Analysis of
Chemistry Department of Food Research Institute (FRI), Variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests. ,e figures were
Ghana. developed using MS excel 2016. Computation was used to
obtain the predators and the significant association
(P≤ 0.05) among some demographic characteristics, and
2.6. Enumeration of Bacteria and Fungi. Microbial analysis experience and average production capacity were investi-
was carried out in triplicate. For each analysis, 10-fold serial gated using Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. Pre-
dilutions were carried out by inoculating 9ml of buffered liminary analyses were performed to ensure no violation of
peptone water (0.1% [w/v] peptone, 0.85% [w/v] NaCl; pH the assumptions of normality, linearity, and homoscedas-
7.2) with 1ml of stored concentrated sample pellets in 30% ticity [8].
glycerol. Hundred microliters (100 μl) of the dilutions was
surface spread onto de Man Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar 3. Results and Discussion
(acumedia®, LAB223) for Lactobacilli, M17 agar for Lac-tococcus species and other cocci, Potato Dextrose (PDA) 3.1. Sociodemographic Characterization of Aliha Producers.
agar (NEOGEN , NCM0018A, UK) for fungi and Mac- ,e results of sociodemographic characteristics of aliha
Conkey agar (ME®RCK, biolab) for Enterobacteriaceae. MRS producers summarized in Table 2 reveal that the majority of
and M17 agar plates were supplemented with 1% cipro- the respondents were females (96%), married (67.5%), and
floxacin/cycloheximide (Sigma-Aldrich; Steinheim; Ger- had between 1 and 5 (72.2%) children. It was not surprising
many) to inhibit the growth of fungi and enteric bacteria, to notice that almost all the producers were females because
while PDA plates contained 1% streptomycin to prevent the cooking traditionally was believed to be the sole responsi-
growth of bacteria [7]. Microorganisms plated on MRS agar bility of a woman [9] in most of the African countries in-
and M17 agar were incubated anaerobically using anaerobic cluding Ghana; hence, the majority of the production of
jar with AneroGenTM 2.5 L (Oxoid LtD, Wade Road, aliha is carried out by females. Further analysis of the data
Basingstoke, Hants) at 30°C for 72 hours, while Mac- had also proven that the 4% of the producers who were men
Conkey agar and PDA were incubated aerobically at 37°C were largely supported by their wives. Members of this
for 24–48 hours, and 25°C for 3 to 5 days, respectively. minority group (men) were between the ages of 30 and 39
Colonies between 30 and 300 on the various bacterial agar and had no formal educational. It was also realized that most
plates and 15 and 150 for fungal plates were selected for of the producers who were divorced and single had between
enumeration.,e fungal colonies selected were equal to or 6 and 15 children and were 50 to 60 years old (data not
greater than 0.5 mm in diameter [7]. ,e counts were shown). Most of the producers had primary (31%) or no
calculated and recorded as means of three determinations formal education (10%). However, the majority of aliha
and were expressed as colony forming units (cfu) per producers were between 50 and 59 years of age (Table 2).,e
Journal of Food Quality 5
Table 2: Sociodemographic characteristics of aliha producers.
Parameter Variable Frequency Percent
Gender male 5 4.0Female 121 96.0
˂20 13 10.3
20–29 10 7.9
Age 30–39 18 14.340–49 31 24.6
50–59 43 34.1
>60 11 8.7
tertiary 9 7.1
JHS 43 34.1
Education SHS 22 17.5
Primary 39 31.0
Others 13 10.3
single 26 20.6
Marital Married 85 67.5Divorced 7 5.6
Widow 8 6.3
Having children yes 115 91.3No 11 8.7
1–5 91 72.2
No. of children 6–10 29 23.1
11–15 6 4.8
NB: JHS–Junior High School; SHS–Senior High School.
respondents who had tertiary education (7%) such as uni- inherited the business from their family members, 19.8%
versity, Polytechnics, Nursing training, and College of ed- learnt the production techniques at a paid training, and 1.6%
ucation were government employees and engaged in aliha observed and learnt from friends. ,e 19.8% who went into
business as a secondary occupation. intensive training were between the ages of 20 and 39, had
,e sociodemographic results of the study reported only primary education, and produced the beverage on large
above were almost comparable to surveys conducted on the scale (200–500 L).
production of gowe [10], Akpan [11], and Ablo [9]. All the ,ese results clearly indicate that aliha processing
three survey studies reported that the traditional processing business is providing livelihood to the producers, particu-
of gowe (a malted and fermented cereal-based beverage from larly the unemployed or uneducated young women, and the
Benin), Akpan (a yoghurt-like cereal product from West production sustainability was extremely high due to the fact
Africa), and ablo (West Africa steamed cooked moist bread) that the majority of the processors (56.4%) were young and
was the sole responsibility of women (100%). However, most less than 10 years in the business. Similarly, Sacca et al. [11]
producers of gowe, akpan, and ablo (52.4%) were between 35 demonstrated that 54% of their respondents had less than 5
and 30 (55%), 26 and 50 (86.2%), and 25 and 45 (54.5%) years in akpan business.,ey concluded that the production
years old, respectively, and they had no formal educational. of akpan could be a sustainable venture since more new
Majority (30.2%) of respondents have been producing stakeholders were joining the sector.
aliha for 6 to 10 years followed by 1 to 5 years (26.2%), while
the least was 26 to 30 years (Figure 2). Further analyses of the
results revealed that those who have been producing for 1 to 3.2. Association between Years of Experience, Average Pro-
10 years were within the age group of below 20 to 39 years. duction Capacity, Age, and Education. ,e relationship
,is group also produced more frequently about twice a between years of experience, average production capacity,
week and in larger quantities of between 100 and 500 liters. age, and education was investigated using Spearman’s rho
,e producers older than 49 years indicated that they correlation coefficient. ,e result summarized in Table 3
produced less frequently in smaller capacities because they indicated that the age and educational background of pro-
could not stand the heat of the production and could also not ducers had no statistical correlation between frequency of
carry it up and down for sale as they used to, but they rather production and production capacity (P< 0.05). ,is implies
produced for retailers and on contracts for occasions such as that education and age of a producer were not factors to
funerals, weddings, naming ceremonies, and marriage en- determine how frequently they could produce aliha or how
gagements. ,is admission confirmed the tedious nature of much of aliha they could produce within a time period.
aliha production and retail. Furthermore, a few of the re- However, years of experience have a positive bearing on the
spondents confirmed that they preferred to produce on producer’s production capacity (P< 0.05). ,is suggests that
contracts rather than carrying it to the market for sale. More the longer they stay in the business, the more experience they
importantly, about 78.6% of the respondents learnt and gain to handle larger productions suggesting business growth.
6 Journal of Food Quality
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
<5 6=10 11=15 16-20 21-25 26-30 >30
Duration of business (years)
Figure 2: Duration the producers have been in aliha business.
3.3. Process Characterization of Traditional Aliha. Maize or Table 3: Relationship between years of experience, average pro-
corn, sugar, caramel, and water were the major rawmaterials duction capacity and age.
required for the production of aliha across all the production Predictors P value
centers in the three regions. ,ere were no other raw ma- Years of Exp. VS Average Production Capacity 0.024
terials or substitutes when the major raw materials were not Age VS Years of experience 0.292
available. However, there were four (4) identified variations Age VS Average Production Capacity 0.516
across the regions and communities of production. ,ese Education VS Years of experience −0.072
differences were noticed either at the malting stage or during Education VS Average Production Capacity 0.422
the brewing process and also varied from community to Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
community. ,e variations existed within the following
stages: steeping, germination, milling, and mixing with
water, before or during boiling, and fermentation (Figures Few producers in Anloga added caramel (for color)
3(a)–3(d)). before boiling and not in the finished beverage as other
All the producers surveyed from Aflao and Denu in the producers do.
Volta region soaked the grain overnight at ambient tem- Conversely, backslopping was not used intentionally in
perature, allowed to germinate for 2 to 3 days, and the green many of the producing centers for the production of aliha.
malts were then sun-dried for 4 to 7 days depending on the ,ey considered old aliha as “spoilt” due to the high acidity
weather. Most of the respondents coarse-ground the malt (Table 4). Hence, this group needs to be educated on the
(using corn mill) and mixed with cold water. ,e mixture advantages back-slopping offers.
was immediately added to a boiling water and allowed to Respondents from Agbozume (Volta region), Accra
cook for about 3 to 4 hours with constant stirring to avoid (Greater Accra), and Kumasi (Ashanti region) ferment their
burning. ,e mixture was strained (using muslin) after malt slurry (or mash) overnight before boiling. Some pre-
cooling and allowed to ferment for three days (Figure 3(a)). ferred to strain before boiling. Instead of milling the malt in
,is process was identified as the original process; hence, a themachine, they rather usedmortar and pestle to pound for
few respondents from other sampling communities such as size reduction (coarse powder) and, hence, had their final
Dzelukope, Zita, and Keta used it with some alteration beverage, which was lighter than those who milled and
(Figure 3(b)). ,e pictorial production process is displayed boiled with the spent malt. ,ey also added caramel before
in Figure 4. the fermentation process. As a result, instead of the usual 3
,e producers from Anloga and Ho from the Volta days of fermentation, they have their products fully fer-
region rather preferred to soak the grains for 3 nights mented within 2 days (Figure 3(d)).
and allowed to germinate for 4 days. ,ey also con- Adinsi et al. [10] reported that the expansion of gowe to a
sidered to add old aliha during or after boiling before new market depends largely on the quality of the final
fermentation (Figure 3(c)), a process known as back- product, which, to date, varies considerably from one
slopping. ,ey indicated that when the backslopping was producer to another as well as between successive processing
done during boiling, the final mixture was fermented for operations. Novellie and de Schaepdrijver [12], Haggblade
2 days, but when backslopped after boiling and cooling, and Holzapfel [13], and Daiber and Taylor [14] held the view
the mixture was fermented for only 1 day. ,is was that steps such as mashing, cooking, souring, straining, and
because the microbial population would die during fermentation for alcoholic beverages have significant bio-
boiling and will not speed up the fermentation process. chemical effects on the final product. Hence, technical know-
No. of producers
Journal of Food Quality 7
Maize grains Maize grains 
Soak grains in water (overnight) Soak grains in water (overnight) 
Strain Strain 
Allow to germinate (5 – 7 days) Allow to germinate (5 - 7 days) 
Sun-dry the green malt for 4-7 days (depended on weather) Sun-dry the green malt for 4-7 days (depended on weather) 
Grind malt to coarse flour Pound malt to coarse flour 
Mix flour with cold water Mix flour with warm water 
Add caramel (burnt sugar) 
Boil the mixture with constant stirring (3 – 4 h) Boil the mixture with constant stirring (3 - 4 h)
Allow to cool and strain Allow to cool and strain
Allow to ferment (3 days) Allow to ferment (3 days)
Strain Strain and add sugar to taste
Add caramel and sugar Aliha 
Aliha
(a) (b)
Maize grains Maize grains
Soak grains in water for 3 nights Soak grains in water (overnight)
Strain Strain
Allow to germinate (4 days) Allow to germinate (5 – 7 days)
Sun-dry the green malt for 4-7 days (depended on weather) Sun-dry the green malt for 4-7 days (depended on weather)
Grind malt to coarse flour Pound malt to coarse grain
Mix flour with cold water Mix flour with water and allow it to stand for 1 day
Strained
Boil the mixture with constant stirring (3 – 4 h) 
Strain, cool and add old aliha Boil the mixture with constant stirring (3 – 4 h)
Allow to ferment (1or 2days) Allow to cool, strain and add caramel
Strain Leave to ferment (3days)
Add caramel and sugar
Strain
Aliha
Add white or brown sugar
Aliha
(c) (d)
Figure 3: (a) Traditional process of aliha from producers in Denu and Aflao. (b) Traditional process of aliha from producers in Keta, Dzita
and Dzelukope. (c) Traditional process of aliha typical of Anloga and Ho communities. (d) Traditional process of aliha typical of Agozume,
Accra and Kumasi.
how is needed by the traditional producers to improve upon More importantly, 99.2% of the respondents produced
their product quality and enhance the nutritional and food their own malt. ,ey indicated that it was cheaper to pro-
safety status of their products on the market. Hébert [15] and duce it themselves than to purchase it. ,ey also mentioned
Nout et al. [16] explained that since the indigenous African that a bad quality malt leads to bad quality final product,
beverages are processed rudimentarily, they are considered hence their decision to produce their own malt. ,e 0.8% of
to be of poor quality with varying end products. Devautour producers who always purchased the malt indicated that
and Nago [17] confirmed that, “because of unstable and their primary occupation could not allow them to go
erratic quality, the trade in these traditional beverages is through the processes involved in malting the maize grains,
extremely limited.” so they found it convenient to buy.
8 Journal of Food Quality
Zea mays – 1 Sprouting – 2 Malt – 3
Malt flour – 4 Boiling – 5 Straining – 6
Fermentation – 7 Aliha without caramel – 8 Aliha with caramel –9 
Figure 4: Pictorial indigenous processing of aliha.
Table 4: ,e summary of responses on storage and quality control checks of aliha production process.
Question Response
1 kg of corn to 100 L (1 :100)
What is the water to malt ratio during 1 kg of corn to 5 L (1 : 5)
production? 1 kg of corn to 6 L (1 : 6)1 kg of corn to 10 L (1 :10)
Not measured
All grains germinate,
How do you assess good quality malt? Green leaves appear,Green leaves must not appear,
Shoot must be twice the size of the grain
What attributes of the product that attracts
customers the most? Aroma, taste, color and thickness,
How do you tell a bad quality product? When test for foam fails, sourness, tasteless, no aroma, too light, over fermentation, whentoo much yeast is added, when it’s alcoholic
What do you do with beverage which is not Add to the newly produced ones and boil
fresh to be sold/drunk? Reheat with maltIt is disposed off
3–7 days,
What is the average shelf life of the product? 7 days,One month,
4 or more weeks
Keep without touching or water droplets
How do you preserve the product to extend Cooking it for long
shelf life? Refrigerate when caramel and sugar are added (all respondents)Keep without sugar (all respondents)
It must be well cooked
Journal of Food Quality 9
On how they determined whether the malt they pro- Table 5: Qualities of final product and occasions where aliha is
duced was of good quality, the responses were: “when all the patronized.
grains germinate,” “when green leaves begin to appear,” P-
“green leaves must not appear,” and “when the shoot is twice Parameter Yes (%) No (%) Mean± SD value
the size of the grain” (Table 4), among others. However, the What do you look out for in a good quality final product?
quality that dominated the list was “the green leaves must Color 84 (66.7) 41 (32.5) 0.68± 0.48 0.001
not appear,” which was correct because the moment the Aroma 76 (60.3) 50 (39.7) 0.60± 0.49 0.001
green leaves start appearing, they would begin to use the Sourness 28 (22.2) 98 (77.8) 0.22± 0.42 0.001
available nutrients in the grain to develop leaving the Alcohol 34 (27.0) 92 (73.0) 0.27± 0.45 0.001
beverage with a little or no nutritional value. Additionally, Others 6 (4.8) 120 (95.2) 0.05± 0.21 0.014
the quality of the grain used for malting must be disease- Which occasions do you sell the beverage?
resistant, as it is necessary for germination. Funerals 117 (92.9) 9 (7.1) 0.93± 0.26 0.001
,eir view was confirmed by Taylor and Dewar [18] who Weddings 114 (90.5) 12 (9.5) 0.90± 0.30 0.001
stated that when the malting process is not properly con- Naming ceremonies 112 (88.9) 14 (11.1) 0.89± 0.32 0.001
trolled, but rather allowed to be dependent on the prevailing Outdooring 120 (95.2) 6 (4.8) 0.95± 0.21 0.001
weather, the quality of the malt will be very low and in- Engagements 116 (92.1) 10 (7.9) 0.92± 0.27 0.001
consistent. Palmer [19] and Bamforth and Barclay [20]
indicated that, for “the production of malt of a good and the Volta Region in particular. Figure 5 presents how aliha
consistent quality, it is a prerequisite that a high proportion was displayed in the markets.
of the grain must germinate.” Briggs et at. [21] admitted that Similarly, several studies have published that traditional
“not all grains are suitable for malting.” ,ey added that the fermented beverages are consumed by all age groups. Bhalla
characteristics to consider for a good quality malt must et al. [22] revealed that sorghum beer was mostly consumed
include “rapid and even germination of the grains, even by friends and family members. Abegaz et al. [23] also
hydrolysis of the endosperm, and an adequate complement suggested that African indigenous fermented beverages were
of enzymes after drying/kilning.” largely patronized by all people, particularly the low-income
,e respondents indicated that competing products for consumers who might not be able to purchase industrialized
aliha are beverages such as sobolo/bissaps, burukutu, asaana, foods or beverages since it is relatively cheaper to produce.
pito, ginger drink and tsukutsuku. Asaana, sobolo, and Adinsi et al. [10] also maintained that gowe is consumed by
ginger drinks are predominant in Greater Accra region; all classes of people.
tsukutsuku and burukutu are from Volta region, while pito In terms of shelf life and quality control checks of aliha,
and asaana are from Ashanti region. However, the pro- it was observed that the shelf life of aliha varied from one
ducers were quick to add that these competing beverages did production community to another. ,e predominant
not pose any threat to their business. Table 5 summarizes the duration as shelf life of aliha according to the producers
responses of the producers in terms of the social events included 7 days and between 3 and 7 days under ambient
where they mostly market aliha apart from the regular retail temperature (Table 4). ,e few who mentioned more
at the main traditional market canters. than 7 days explained that, at that period, the beverage
When asked about indices they used to determine the would not be fresh to be sold but could be reheated with
final product quality, the majority of the respondents some malt flour and sold the following day or added to
mentioned color (66.7%) and aroma (60.3%) as the major the newly prepared one. Some, however, indicated that
parameters (Table 5). A one-way t-test sample determined the shelf life of aliha was dependent on how long it was
that there were significant differences (P � 0.00) across the cooked. ,is means that the longer the boiling time, the
responses (Table 5). Moreover, they maintained that the longer the shelf life. However, this practice might also
product attributes that attracted the customers mostly were have adverse implications on the nutritional value of the
good taste, good aroma, light color, and thickness of the final product and cost of fuel for cooking. ,ey also
beverage. ,is response, however, corresponded to the suggested bad handling practices such as frequent touch,
quality parameters the producers were looking for in their access of condensates into the beverage or fetching with
final product. It could be inferred that the producers were wet containers and adding caramel without refrigeration
aware of the product qualities important to their clients, and (Table 4). ,ey emphasized that aliha is unfriendly to
they tried to meet them. water during the period of fermentation.
In responding to parameters, which determine bad Similar studies on sorghum beer and gowe [10] revealed
quality of aliha, the respondents cited over fermentation, that the shelf life of sorghum beer was approximately 5–10
product being too light, alcoholic, tasteless, sourness, and days after straining, whilst that of gowe was between 2 and 3
when testing for foam failed, among others as the main days under room temperature due to the development of
parameters (Table 5). molds and increased acidity. ,ey added that, due to the
Again, the beverage was largely patronized by all the age short shelf-life, gowe was not produced in large quantities, as
groups across all the production communities. Some pro- observed in aliha. Contamination by mold and bacteria
ducers stated categorically that the youth and children when not handled effectively could lead to rapid deterio-
mostly patronized the product (data not shown). ,is in- ration of the products and consequently shorten the shelf life
dication actually made aliha production a huge business in [24,25].
10 Journal of Food Quality
Figure 5: Aliha with ice displayed in the Marketing.
Taylor and Dewar [18] and Taylor and Joustra [26] five samples (P> 0.05). Similarly, the acidity of samples
added that the causes of short shelf-life of a beverage were DN1 increased by about 2.33 units within 24 h and further
not limited to what happened during cooking and fer- increased to 2.99 units after 72 hours of incubation.
mentation periods, but also extended to the time of However, sample AG2 registered the slowest (1.0 unit)
malting. Furthermore, they explained that “when the increase in acidity of the final beverage. ,ese rapid in-
degradation of the endosperm, which naturally sustains the creases in acidity could be as a result of high microbial
development of the growing embryo or germ during activities on the sugars to generate lactic acids in the
germination, has progressed to only a limited extent, the various final beverages.
maltster terminates both its degradation and the growth of Ray and Joshi [27] reported that the titratable acidity
the germ to produce a shelf-stable product, by drying the (TA) of kirario increased from 1.04 to 3.15 during fer-
grain.” mentation, while the pH exhibited a sharp decline from the
Aliha after the fermentation process is strained and initial value of 6.4 to 4.0 within 24 hours and further declined
stored in cleaned and dried fermenters or transferred into to 3.0 for 48 hours of fermentation, which was similar to the
large vessels (Figure 6). ,e vessels are then transported to current results. Namugumya and Muyanja, [29] also reported
the market and repackaged after addition of sugar and icing that the mean values of TA ofKwete shot-up from 0.84 to 1.43
for sale. with a corresponding mean pH decreased from 4.89 to 3.35
during 72 hours of fermentation, which was slightly different
from aliha. Total titratable acidity of mangisi also increased
3.4. Determination of Changes in Temperature, pH, and Ti- from 0.13 to 0.67%, which resulted in a decrease in pH from
tratable Acidity. ,e results of changes in temperature, pH, 6.10 to 3.98 (Zvauya et al.) [30]. Furthermore, Zvauya, et al.
and titratable acidity during aliha fermentation have been [30] explained that the gradual increase in acidity of the
summarized and presented in Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 product could be as a result of the activities of LAB breaking
reveals that the temperatures change steadily across the down sugars to produce lactic acid.
various fermentation stages within the 72 hours of fer- Furthermore, for the nutritional composition, Table 6
mentation. However, DN2 recorded the lowest gradual reveals that DN2 contained the highest amounts of protein,
mean change in temperature from 30.7°C to 23.6°C within energy, and calcium. ,is is followed by AG2 (total car-
the 72 hours. Statistically, there were, however, no significant bohydrates and ash) and AG1 (phosphorous and fats and
differences between changes in temperatures across the oil); therefore, aliha produced by original method
various samples (P> 0.05). (Figure 3(a), DN2) was the most nutritious beverage, fol-
Usually, temperature fluctuations affect the growth rate lowed by aliha produced by backslopping technique (AG1
of microorganisms. Temperatures below room temperature and 2). AG2 presents the highest alcohol content (0.70ml/
are considered beneficial for microbiological quality [27]. 100ml); hence, aliha is classified as a low alcoholic beverage.
,e report of Korzeniwska et al. [28] showed that tem- Apart from the geographical locations (different regions),
peratures between 5 and 22°C had no effect on the number of which might influence the nutritional composition and al-
microorganisms studied. Hence, the low temperatures coholic contents of aliha, the variations are basically as a
recorded in the final products of this study might also result of differences in the processing techniques since the
contribute to increase in microbial communities in the same raw materials, and variety, are produced and harvested
beverage. in the same seasons used for the production.
,e pH of the samples from ACC and DN1 decreased ,e nutritional studies of Nigeria pito [31], Tchapalo
rapidly from 6.40 to 4.20 and further to 2.60 for 0H, 24H, [32], and Sweet wort of tchapalo [32], which were maize-
and 72H, respectively (Figure 8). However, there were no based beverages, revealed that Nigeria pito contained 5.42 g
significance differences among the changes in pH across the of proteins, 0.001 g of ash, and 3.4 g carbohydrates; Tchapalo
Journal of Food Quality 11
Figure 6: Vessels used for fermentation and marketing of aliha.
31.9 AG1
35
30 26.5
25
20 25.1
31.8 26.8 15 26.4
ACC 10 AG2
24.8 24.8
5 31.9
0
23.6 24.7
26.2
30.7
26.8
DN2 29.3 DN1
0 HR
24 HR
72 HR
Figure 7: Mean changes in temperature during fermentation of aliha. ACC-Accra; AG-Anloga; DN-Denu.
constituted proteins (0.03 g) ash (0.27 g) and carbohydrates Tables 7 and 8, and Figure 9. ,e highest counts for AG1,
(0.53), while Sweet wort of tchapalo contained proteins DN2, and AG2 under 0H, 24H, and 2H, respectively, were
(2.7 g), ash (0.3 g) and carbohydrates (3.6). However, no recorded for Lactobacillus species. ,e highest counts
calories, fats, and sodium were determined for the three recorded for Cocci species were from ACC, AG2, and DN2
beverages. Comparatively, the mean values of the nutritional under 0 H, 24 H, and 72H, respectively. While fungi
contents of the various aliha present aliha as nutritionally (yeasts and mold) recorded its highest count for 0 H, 24 H,
better than Nigeria pito, Tchapalo, kunun-zaki [33,34], dolo and 72H under AG1, Enterobacteriaceae recorded its
[35], and burukutu [36].,ey were, however, more alcoholic highest counts for 0 H, 24 H, and 72H under AG1, ACC,
(2.3–5.2%) [37] than aliha (0.56%). Statistically, there were and ACC (Table 7). It was also interesting to note that
significant differences among the nutritional values fungi and Enterobacteriaceae occurrence increased
(P< 0.05) across the production centers (Table 6) drastically within 24 hours of incubation but decreased
sharply from 24H to 72H across all the samples. Par-
ticular references could be made to DN2, which has fungi
3.5. Microbiological Characterization. ,e microbial com- counts increased from 2.26 to 2.95 log cfu/ml and then
munity associated with traditional fermented aliha has been decreased to 2.40 log cfu/ml, while Enterobacteriaceae
enumerated with the results analyzed and presented in increased from 4.53 to 6.85 log cfu/ml within the first 24 h
12 Journal of Food Quality
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 HR 24 HR 72 HR
Time (Hour)
AG1 DN2
AG2 ACC
DN1
(a)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 24 72
Time (hour)
AG1 DN2
AG2 ACC
DN1
(b)
Figure 8: Mean changes in pH and titratable acidity during 74 h fermentation periods of aliha. (a) Mean changes in pH during fermentation
of aliha. (b) Mean changes in titratable acidity during fermentation of aliha, ACC-Accra; AG-Anloga; DN-Denu. Data presented are
mean± SD of triplicates of independent experiments.
but decreased sharply to 5.23 log cfu/ml under ACC Moreover, while DN1 and ACC present the first and
within 48 hours (Table 7). ,e appearance of Enter- second highest LAB (Bacilli), both DN1 and DN2 register
obacteriaceae in aliha from the beginning of incubation to the first and second highest for LAB (Cocci), respectively
the last day might result from the materials used for (Figure 9). While AG2 recorded the highest occurrence for
straining and fetching, open transfer from the cooking pot presumptive fungi followed by DN2, DN2 and DN1
to fermenters, the containers used as fermenters, and recorded the first and second highest Enterobacteriaceae,
compromising personal hygiene practices. respectively. However, under 72 hr, DN1 recorded the
,ese results might be interpreted to mean that the sharp highest microbial community, followed byDN2 and the least
increase in fungi and enteric bacteria within 24 hours of count by AG1 with their corresponding mean values as
incubation might have resulted from the increase in pH and [4.03± 72.43], [4.00± 56.92] and [3.85± 40.11] log10·cfu/ml
lowering in titratable acidity (TA), which sought to create (Table 8). Statistically, there was no significance difference
favorable environment or conditions for their growth. (P> 0.05) among the counts across the various samples.
However, the drastic inhibition of these groups of organisms Microbial studies on kwete (Namugumya and Muyanja,
within 48 hours could also be as a result of the decrease in [29]; kirario (Kunyanga et al. [38] and burukutu beer
pH, which led to increase in TA and, hence, made the (Faparusi et al. [39] presented similar results for lactic acid
environment unconducive for their survivals. bacterial occurrences. However, while Kunyanga et al. [38]
Change in titratable acidity Change in pH
Journal of Food Quality 13
Table 6: Chemical composition of traditional prepared aliha [Fisher’s Least significance difference (LSD)].
Parameters ACC AG1 AG2 DN2 DN1
Moisture (g/100 g) 94.93± 0.01b 96.31± 0.05a 93.71± 0.01d 94.00± 0.23c 94.86± 0.03b
Protein (g/100 g) 0.33± 0.01b 0.54± 0.57a 0.63± 0.01ab 1.01± 0.01a 0.36± 0.03b
Ash (g/100 g) 0.09± 0.06b 0.11± 0.01b 0.19± 0.01a 0.12± 0.01b 0.09± 0.00b
Total fats (g/100 g) 0.26± 0.01ac 0.77± 0.07a 0.22± 0.01c 0.27± 0.01ac 0.29± 0.00b
Total Carb./fiber (g/100 g) 4.39± 0.01c 2.27± 0.02d 5.34± 0.05a 4.60± 0.02b 4.40± 0.01c
Energy (Kcal/100 g) 32.00± 0.15c 33.70± 0.31b 25.38± 0.01d 57.70± 0.06a 21.65± 0.20e
Iron (g/100 g) 11.36± 0.01a 1.30± 0.26d 10.65± 0.01c 11.03± 0.01b 11.36± 0.10a
Calcium (g/100g) 55.21± 0.01c 1.80± 0.15d 53.50± 0.01a 56.75± 0.01b 56.49± 0.80b
Phosphorus (g/100 g) 14.07± 0.01c 22.29± 2.83a 15.83± 0.01ac 18.67± 0.01ab 17.65± 2.68b
Alcohol (ml/100ml) 0.53± 0.00c 0.53± 0.00d 0.70± 0.00a 0.53± 0.00c 0.53± 0.00b
Note: Values with different superscripts in the same row are significantly different at p≤ 0.05. Data presented are mean± SD of triplicates of independent
experiments. ACC-Accra; AG-Anloga; DN-Denu
Table 7: Microbial population and occurrence in indigenous fermented aliha under different hours of production.
Sample [Log Cfu/Ml]
Time (h) 10
DNI DN2 AG1 AG2 ACC
LAB [Lactobacilli]
0H 2.63± 86.3ab 0.00± 0.00b 2.65± 30.9a 2.51± 6.33a 1.88± 45.4c
24HR 4.04± 7.21c 4.10± 7.21a 3.92± 7.01a 3.96± 5.86a 4.18± 6.71a
72HR 4.36± 6.71d 4.99± 7.79a 4.08± 22.9a 5.06± 4.07a 4.05± 7.21a
LAB [Cocci]
0HR 2.53± 2.93a 0.00± 0.00c 1.30± 45.4c 2.99± 3.04b 3.69± 3.12a
24HR 2.91± 7.01b 3.07± 6.33a 3.43± 5.86ab 4.16± 4.04b 4.08± 14.0a
72HR 4.28± 6.71a 5.25± 13.8a 4.02± 14.0d 4.99± 14.89b 4.92± 7.79a
FUNGI [Yeast and Mold]
0HR 2.28± 43.0a 2.26± 1.89b 3.11± 6.06a 2.26± 42.9c 2.41± 6.33c
24HR 2.66± 7.01a 2.95± 30.9b 4.05± 4.04b 3.21± 3.04b 2.79± 6.33b
72HR 2.41± 86.3b 2.40± 3.04c 4.04± 22.9c 3.23± 4.07b 2.26± 30.9c
Enterobacteriaceae
0HR 3.78± 5.86b 4.21± 4.04a 4.57± 14.0c 3.71± 6.06d 53± 7.79d
24HR 4.23± 6.71b 5.13± 13.8a 4.72± 7.79c 4.95± 7.79d 6.85± 22.9c
72HR 4.22± 4.07b 4.21± 14.0a 4.23± 6.71c 4.15± 7.21d 5.23± 86.3c
1Values are means of triplicate determinations from three independent trials; ± standard deviations (SD), ACC-Accra; AG-Anloga; DN-Denu. 2Means with
same letters and “ab” as superscripts in a row are significantly different (P< 0.05).
Table 8: Prevalence of mean microbiota for each fermentation period (Log10 cfu/ml).
Sample 0 hr 24 hr 72 hr Mean± SD sig. (2-Tailed)
DN1 3.56 4.02 4.26 4.03± 72.43 0.124
DN2 3.58 4.05 4.17 4.00± 56.92 0.094
AG1 3.49 3.83 4.04 3.85± 40.11 0.094
AG2 3.38 4.06 4.80 3.94± 55.14 0.111
ACC 3.37 3.98 4.14 3.93± 58.09 0.125
ACC-Accra; AG-Anloga; DN-Denu.
14 Journal of Food Quality
600
a
500
c
400 a
a b
b b ac a b
300 a ac c
b
a b ab ab
200 a
100
0
AG1 AG2 DN1 DN2 ACC
Aliha sample
Bacilli Fungi 
Cocci Enteric bacteria
Figure 9: Occurrence of microbiota in traditional fermented aliha. Note: Values with the same superscripts on the same row are not
significantly different at P≤ 0.05; Data presented are mean± SD of triplicates of independent experiments. ACC-Accra; AG-Anloga; DN-
Denu.
did not report any counts on enteric bacteria, Namugumya Enteric bacterial and fungal counts will lead to product
and Muyanja, [29] recorded slower decrease in fungi counts safety, while the increase in the lactic acid bacteria will
in kwete [5.03± 0.37 log10·cfu·ml to 4.48± 0.01 log10·cfu/ml] contribute to enhanced organoleptic properties of the
within 48 hours of fermentation as compare to fungi final beverage and, hence, the need to identify the group of
numbers in aliha. the LAB, characterize them and the most suitable strains
of the dominant species used as starters for upscaling the
4. Conclusion production process.
,ere were four main aliha production processes iden- Data Availability
tified across the three production regions. ,ese differ-
ences were identified throughout the production chain, ,e data used for the findings of this study are included
starting from soaking to fermentation. ,is diversity within the article.
contributes to the inconsistencies in the final beverage and
must be ironed out by developing a standard operation Conflicts of Interest
procedure (SOP) to be used for the production. ,is will
however pave the way for industrializing the beverage.,e ,e authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.
age group of the producers was a factor that gives the
beverage not only a lasting future, but also a viable Acknowledgments
venture.
,e nutritional analysis also revealed that aliha pro- University of Ghana Research Funds (UGRF) and Pan-
duced by “original method” was the best followed by African Doctoral Academy (PADA) under the “Building A
backslopping technique; however, aliha produced by New Generation of Academics in Africa (BANGA-Africa)”
“original method” was highly contaminated as compared University of Ghana chapter. ,e authors acknowledge the
to backslopping technique. Hence, using defined starter research skills received from,eWorld Academy of Science
cultures to develop a SOP will be a better option for safety (TWAS) at the University of Zululand, South Africa.
and to reduce the duration of production. Apart from the
mean changes in titratable acidities of all the samples, References
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