Chemical Composition and Microbial Contaminants of Poha Beer: A Local Nonalcoholic Beverage in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Ghana

Figure 1

Schematic representation of the preparation of Poha Beer. Poha Beer is brewed in six distinct steps, which include the following. Threshing: due to its sticky nature, the outer case of the fruit is manually removed with care in order to prevent contact with particles. Fermentation: the fruits are sprinkled with water and allowed to stand for 24 h for fermentation to occur. Moulding: the fruits are preserved by moulding into balls and stored until required for use. Moulding reduces the surface area and prevents development of bacterial and fungal spores. Soaking: the fruits are soaked with either cold or warm water for between ∼4 and 12 h to ensure efficient pulp extraction and dissolution. Mashing: in order to efficiently extract a high amount of pulp, the soaked fruits are mashed with clean hands, after which the required spices such as the local spices (“masoro” and “kanaaferi,” with pepper, ginger, and lime) are added. Decanting: the mashed mixture is then sieved, after which sugar is added to the filtrate, bagged, and sold to consumers by street vendors.