Research Article

Process and Product Characterization of Aliha, A Maize-Based Ghanaian Indigenous Fermented Beverage

Table 4

The summary of responses on storage and quality control checks of aliha production process.

QuestionResponse

What is the water to malt ratio during production?1 kg of corn to 100 L (1 : 100)
1 kg of corn to 5 L (1 : 5)
1 kg of corn to 6 L (1 : 6)
1 kg of corn to 10 L (1 : 10)
Not measured

How do you assess good quality malt?All grains germinate,
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, when too much yeast is added, when it’s alcoholic

What do you do with beverage which is not fresh to be sold/drunk?Add to the newly produced ones and boil
Reheat with malt
It is disposed off

What is the average shelf life of the product?3–7 days,
7 days,
One month,
4 or more weeks

How do you preserve the product to extend shelf life?Keep without touching or water droplets
Cooking it for long
Refrigerate when caramel and sugar are added (all respondents)
Keep without sugar (all respondents)
It must be well cooked