DEBRE BERHAN UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
FINAL YEAR PROJECT
PROJECT TITLE: PRESERVING AND PACKAGING OF
TRADITIONAL TELLA TO INCREASE SHELF LIFE
GROUP MEMBERS
NAME ID No
1. Abraham Tsegay--------------------------------0150/08
2. Adane Dessalew---------------------------------0163/08
3. Addisu Mengistu--------------------------------0178/08
4. Admasu Alamaw--------------------------------0181/08
5. Alemayehu Awoke-----------------------------0206/08
6. Tesfaye Endriyas--------------------------------0576/05

Submitted to: Tsegazeab K. (MSc)

Submission date:16/06/2012 E.C

Table of Contents
• Introduction
In nearly all areas of the world, some type of alcoholic beverage native to its region is prepared
and consumed. In Africa, fermented alcoholic beverages are consumed in different occasions
such as marriage, naming and rain making ceremonies at festivals and social gatherings, at burial
ceremonies and settling disputes. They are also used as medicines for fever and other ailments by
adding barks or stems of certain plants.
Fermented alcoholic beverages have been widely consumed by people in almost all countries for
millennia. These fermented beverages are usually prepared from locally available materials using
age-old techniques, and their art is believed to pass down by cultural and traditional values to
subsequent generations with the processing being optimized through trial and error. Owing to the
heterogeneity of culture in Ethiopia, diverse indigenous fermented beverages exist in the country
with tella, tej and areki being majorly consumed in the northern parts .
Traditional fermentation serves many purposes. It can alter the texture of foods, enhance the
digestibility of a food, preserve foods by production of acids or alcohol, or produce subtle flavors
and aromas which increase the quality and value of raw materials. Fermentation which is often
considered as a low-input enterprise provides individuals with limited purchasing power, access
to safe, inexpensive and nutritious foods.
In reality, the fermentation of traditional beverages takes place under uncontrolled conditions and
often involves laborious and time consuming activities. Rural women produce such beverages
with no standardized formulations and also usually in the absence of back-slopping. As a result,
the beverage becomes of poor quality with inconsistency and failure in most cases. These
necessitate the understanding of the processes and raw materials utilized for preparing the
beverages.
Indigenous fermented alcoholic beverages from different parts of the world are described.
Among these, information on the microbiology and biochemical properties of varieties of the
indigenous African fermented alcoholic beverages is available .
Fermentation, an important aspect of food microbiology, was discovered many centuries ago as
means of processing and preserving food. Its discovery goes even before written records and
therefore the process is usually referred to as traditional food fermentation.
These products, if properly exploited, could be of significant economic importance for the
country. Most of the customs and rituals involving the Ethiopian traditional fermented foods and
beverages are still prevailing today in urban areas, village communities and rural households.
Packaging is an essential part of processing and distributing foods. Whereas preservation is the
major role of packaging, there are several other functions for packaging, each of which must be
understood by the food manufacturer. Environmental factors such as oxygen and water vapor
will spoil foods if they are allowed to enter packages freely .
Packaging can become a shelf life limiting factor in its own right. For example, this may be as a
result of migration of tainting compounds from the packaging into the food or the migration of
food components into the packaging. Different groups within the food chain, i.e. consumers,
retailers, distributors, manufacturers and growers, proffer subtly different perspectives of shelf
life, reflecting the aspect of greatest importance and significance to them. For consumers, it is
imperative that products are safe and the quality meets their expectations. Consumers will often
actively seek the product on the shelf with the longest remaining shelf life as this is considered to
be indicative of freshness.
1.1 Background of the study
Tella (local beer) is believed to be over 10,000 years old. Although no one knows its exact
origins, some agricultural historians believe that the first tella may have been produced
accidentally when a stash of grain was soaked by rain and then warmed by the sun.
It is, by far, the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage in Ethiopia. It is assumed that
over two million hectoliters of tella to be brewed annually in households and drinking houses in
Addis Ababa alone. Some of them consider as local beer. It is traditionally drunk on major
religious festivals, saint’s days and weddings .
The origin of modern beverage blending innovations stands from the preparation traditional tella
by modifying some parts using scientific methods. The history of tella is same with the history of
beer as it is the father of modern beer. For this reason, tracing the history of beer is same as
tracing the history of tella (local beer). Tella makers had no one and common principle of tella
production and still there are different types of tella prepared in different regions of Ethiopia.

1.2 Problem of the statement

Tella is most common local beer, and thus upgrading its production process to the modern way is
important. Doing research on this local alcoholic beverage indirectly helps the country. As it is
not scientifically produced yet before, its standard is decreasing. The cause for decreasing the
respect of tella consumer is due to the quality of tella and production standard. The only trick
solution for solving this problem is standardizing the process and providing awareness about the
benefit of scientific preparation of this tella both for the manufacturer and the consumers. The
other basic thing that initiates us to conduct this project is that many very important components
of tella are removed with the cake after separating the liquor when it is prepared traditionally.
But, if it is carried out in scientific methods, those important nutritional values can be reserved
and the process can be done easily with complete regulation of different parameters.
1.3 Objectives
1.3.1 General objective:
To prepare, pack and preserve Ethiopian traditional Tella scientifically to improve its shelf life
time.
1.3.2 Specific objectives:
• To estimate the shelf life time of wine (tella) and improve it possibly.
• To determine the basic factors or parameters which affects the shelf life time and lead the
wine (tella) being spoiled (i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic factors).

• To analyze traditional tella preparation in scientific methods.

1.4 Significance of the study

As everyone knows, tella is Ethiopian traditional beverage mostly prepared in rural areas. It is
not introduced to other countries as a result our country cannot get income from selling this
traditionally prepared beverage. The basic reason behind this is that till now it was unable to be
preserved and stored for a long period of time unlike beer. Due to this it was difficult to distribute
it to neighboring countries. But, this study in some extent will encourage the analysis of the
packaging, shelf life and preservation techniques to prolong the best before life of this product.
And after analyzing its shelf life, the next step is introducing it to the neighboring countries and
then to the globe. The other most attracting feature of this product is, it is not prepared in other
countries (no competent) other than our country Ethiopia.
2. Literature Review
2.1 Ethiopian traditional alcoholic beverages
Ethiopia is one of the countries where a wide variety of traditional fermented beverages are
prepared and consumed. The various traditional fermented beverages consumed in Ethiopia
consists of high alcoholic beers such as tella; low alcoholic beers such as keribo, buqri, shameta,
borde, wine such as tej made from honey and distilled spirits such as katikala or areki .
Tella is one of the Ethiopian traditional beverages, which is prepared from different ingredients.
It is, by far, the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage in Ethiopia. It is assumed that
over two million hectoliters of tella to be brewed annually in households and drinking houses in
Addis Ababa alone
Tella is an alcoholic drink made from many different raw materials, including barley, corn,
wheat, millet, or teff (Eragrostis tef). The only distinct difference between tella and beer the
fermentation: During the production of tella, no yeast is added. Only yeasts that are naturally
present in the cereals and tools are relied upon to make the drink.
Depending on the type of cereal ingredients used to make, tella has different names: Amhara
tella, Oromo tella, and Gurage tella. Amhara tella has Gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) and
concentrated. Gurage tella is delicately aromatized with a variety of spices. Oromo tella has no
Gesho (Rhamnus prinoides), and it is thick and sweet .
There are several recipes for making tella and it appears as if every housewife has her own
version of the recipe. The fermenting organisms of tella are composed of S. cerevisiae and
Lactobacillus species. Increase in ethanol content (2.2 to 5% (v/v)) is directly associated with
increase in the population of yeasts and decrease in reducing sugar and total carbohydrate. The
pH of tella is in the range of 4.5 to 4.8.
For tella considered to be a good quality, the final ethanol content is in the range of 2-8% (v/v)
and pH is 4-5. The biochemical changes, the microorganisms involved in the fermentation and
those which bring about desirable and undesirable changes in the process of tella making are
described. The fermentation process of tella can be divided into four phases.
The first occurs in the original mixtures of ingredients, and the second and third phases occur
after successive additions of more carbohydrate materials.
The three main carbohydrate materials are mentioned to be bikil, kitta and enkuro. The latter
phase is where acidification takes place, which is actually not desirable.
Filter tella is another beverage, which is made in the same way as the regular tella, but it is more
concentrated. The tella is then filtered through a cotton cloth. After being prepared it is kept in a
closed container. This type of tella is reported to have higher alcohol content.
Kirari is a drink made, when the clear tella is used, by adding fresh water and then leaving the
mixture to ferment. This beverage is weaker than the regular tella, and is most often used for
family consumption. .
2.2. Cleaning agents in tella preparation
Grawa (Vernonia amygdalina Del.) and weira, (europaea L. cuspidate (Wall. Ex Dc) Ciferri) are
used for cleaning fermentation containers before the start of tella fermentation. Grawa leaves
used for washing fermentation containers and weira splinters used for smoking fermentation jars.
2.2.1. Grawa (Vernonia amygdalina Del.)
Grawa is popularly known as bitter leaf. It belongs to the Compositae family. It is widely
distributed in most African countries and utilized for various purposes. Different parts of the
plant are consumed as a raw vegetable after abating bitterness by boiling and soaking in several
water changes. It is also used as animals’ feed in most parts of Africa.
In some parts of Africa grawa is regarded as a medicinal plant in Africa to treat fever, kidney
problems and stomach discomfort. Additional studies also showed bactericidal effect, anti-fungal
property and strong parasiticidal properties.
In Ethiopia grawa is usually used as ethno medicinal plant for stomach disorders and as a
cleansing agent for containers of tella fermentation. Fermentation containers are washed
repeatedly using grawa leaves and water till foams appear.
The effect of grawa leaves in relation to tella preparation is not studied yet. However, the leaves
are reputed to contain detergent agents .
2.2.2. Weira (Olea europaea L. subsp cuspidate (Wall. Ex DC) Ciferri)
Weira is a sub-species of olive. The fruits, leaves and stem of weira consist of series of
compounds that represent multichemical mechanism of defense against microbe and insect
attack.
Weira is commonly used in Ethiopia for smoking fermentation containers of traditional
beverages such as tella, and tej, containers of water, containers of milk and milk products.
The smoke is reported to remove and to cause sluggish growth of coli forms in smoked milk and
its products.At the same time it is also observed to delay milk spoilage. Weira smoke give smoky
flavor to water, tella, tej and milk. It has been shown that weira smoke contains compounds
which have the ability to kill or delay the rate of growth of a number of human pathogenic
bacteria and fungi. However, the effect of weira smoke in relation to tella fermentation is not yet
studied.
3. Material and Methodology
3.1 Materials used
During preparation (upstream) raw materials are specified. The raw material specification may
vary from place to place due to availability, costly, test of final production and other criteria.
Some of the most common specified raw material for all most of tella production in Ethiopia is
like: barley, Dagusa, sorghum, Teff, and maize. Those all are what we call raw materials. The
raw materials are used for tella production in the form of malt, hop and darken bread. According
to our project barley and maize are used.
In addition to the above listed points, equipment selection is mandatory during manufacturing.
The equipment used during manufacturing can have a big impact on the quality of the end
beverage. Good quality equipment will ensure that every step of the process is done effectively
producing a refined final product. It is always recommended to use customized equipment for
different applications.
3.1.1 Gesho, Rhamnus prinoides L. Herit
Gesho, Rhamnus prinoides, is a dense shrub or sometimes appears as small tree. It is spineless
and evergreen. It is assumed that gesho maintains acidic pH during tella fermentation so as to
modify the nature of the mash and impedes the growth of unwanted microorganism.
It is one of the two representative species with Rhamnus staddo of the family Rhamnacaea that
are only found in Africa. Gesho is commonly used for preparation of traditional alcoholic
beverages, tella and tej in Ethiopia .
Gesho is responsible for the bitter taste of tella. It is also thought to be the source of various
chemicals. The other metabolites from gesho are identified as antimicrobial agents .
3.1.2 Malt (Bikil)
Bikil is prepared from malted cereals which may be wheat or barley. The cereal is steeped in
water for about two days. The second day the water is drained off and the cereal is left packed in
a container for one day to allow germination.
The germinated grain is transferred in to a wide tray to allow the germinated grain to lock with
each other. Then grain is smoked, sun dried and grounded to coarse powder.
Germination of cereal grains is initiated by water and its successful completion is signaled by the
emergence of the developing roots and shoots
Conversion of starch enzymatically into simple sugars in malted grains is important for
preparation of fermented alcoholic beverages both in large and small scales. There are yeast
species that can only utilize simple sugars during fermentation process for growth and survival.
They cannot utilize starch as carbon source since they do not have any enzyme to hydrolyze it.
Chemical additives used to control the fermentation process further complicate alcoholic
beverages. Only the water-clear alcoholic beverages, like vodka, are relatively free of the
chemical mix
Human foods are naturally characterized by having moderate pH values, mild temperatures and a
wide range of oxygen tension. This makes the majority of foods suitable to harbor obligate
anaerobes, obligate aerobes as well as fastidious types suggesting that many food items are
inevitably ideal carriers of pathogenic bacterial species such as Salmonella. Most food spoilage
bacteria do not, however, grow at pH values below 5. Hence one aspect of food preservation is
making conditions suitable that allow acidity to develop directly in the food through microbial
action to get fermented food.
The lactic acid bacteria make spontanious fermentation provided there is ambient temperature
and correct concentration of sodium chloride
3.2 Chemicals used
Allergenic sulfites are commonly used as disinfectants and bleaching agents in wine making.
Sulfites such as Cambden tablets are used to stop fermentation. Methyl glycol has been
deliberately added to some wines to sweeten the taste. Distilling of fermentation brews reduces
the chemical load, but volatile products pass through the distiller along with alcohol.
Some of the most important ingredients of tella are dealt below.

3.3 Methodology
There are numerous recipes for preparing traditional tella. According to this project, scientific
methods are explained and used. These methods have some phases or units. Methods used in this
project are basically the upstream (preparation), fermentation process and downstream
(filtration).
 Figure Overall process of beverage (tella) preparation

The upstream comprises steps from sleeping barley to mash mixing and that of downstream step
is applied after the wine is fermented to separate the clear desired product (clear tella) from the
sludge. There are no microbes at the end of tella fermentation phase, especially in tella made
with gesho.
Besides, the final stage filtration is mostly used to avoid the light materials float on the clear tella
to make packing easy and to avoid the stress to bottles during refrigerating to improve the
amount of dissolved oxygen in the bottle.
3.3.1 Process Description of Tella preparation
Tella is called Ethiopian traditional beer. Its production process is similar to beer making in that
the grain starch is converted into sugars by malting. However, there are no yeast inoculation
stages for fermentation but it utilizes the natural yeast present on the cereals. Tella is made from
different cereals. Barley and corn are the most popular, but in some areas teff, millet or sorghum
can be used. .
The way of preparing tella differs among the ethnic groups and depends on traditional and the
economic situation. The agents of the color of tella are kitta pieces or enkuro.
According to our project, enkuro will be used than small kita pieces. Tella is popular Ethiopian
traditional beverages, which is made from diverse ingredients. Depending on the type of cereal
ingredients used to make, tella has different names: Amhara tella, Oromo tella, and Gurage tella.
Amhara tella has gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) and concentrated.
Gurage tella is delicately aromatized with a variety of spices. Oromo tella has no gesho (R.
prinoides), and it is thick and sweet. Generally, tella is brewing from substrates such as barley,
wheat, maize, millet, sorghum, teff or other cereals.
The quality of tella is variable from local to local, from individual to individual. Even within the
same individual, the quality is variable from time to time .
 Figure 2 Block flow diagram of tella preparation

• Sleeping barley
Most of the raw material used to make tella is barley, but there are many grains used to make
tella. If we use barley sleeping is very important step. Malting (germination) begins by
immersing barley, harvested at less than 12 percent moisture, in water at 12 to 15 °C for 40 to 50
hours. During this steeping period, the barley may be drained and given air rests, or the steep
may be forcibly aerated. As the grain imbibes water, its volume increases about 25 percent, and
its moisture content reaches about 45 percent. A white root sheath, called a chit, breaks through
the husk, and the chitted barley is then removed from the steep for germination.
• Germination
It is activated by water and oxygen, the root embryo of the barley corn secretes a plant hormone
called gibberellic acid, which initiates the synthesis of α-amylase. The α- and β-amylases then
convert the starch molecules of the corn into sugars that the embryo can use as food. Other
enzymes, such as the proteases and β-glucanases, attack the cell walls around the starch grains,
converting insoluble proteins and complex sugars (called glucans) into soluble amino acids and
glucose. These enzymatic reactions are called modification.
The more germination proceed, the greater the modification. Over modification leads to malting
loss, in which rootlet growth and plant respiration reduce the weight of the grain.
In traditional malting, the steeped barley was placed in heaps called couches and, after 24 hours,
spread on a floor to permit germination. Because respiration of the grain causes oxygen to be
taken up and carbon dioxide and heat to be produced, control of aeration, ventilation, and
temperature was achieved by manually turning the grain. Large-scale floor malting with
mechanical turners were introduced, later replaced by pneumatic malting, in which germination
occurred in boxes with the bed automatically turned, aerated, and ventilated with forced air. In
some modern malting operations, gibberellic acid is sprayed onto the barley to speed
germination, and bromates are used to suppress rootlet growth and malting loss.
• Kilning
Green malt is dried to remove most of the moisture, leaving 5 percent in lager and 2 percent in
traditional malts. This process arrests enzyme activity but leaves 40 to 60 percent in an active
state. Curing at higher temperatures promotes a reaction between amino acids and sugars to form
melanoidins, which give both color and flavor to malt.
In the first stage of kilning, a high flow of dry air at above room temperature is maintained
through a bed of green malt. This lowers the moisture content from 45 to 25 percent. A second
stage of drying removes more firmly bound water, the temperature rising to and the moisture
content falling to 12 percent. In the final curing stage, the temperature is raised. The finished
malt is then cooled and screened to remove rootlets.
• Milling
For efficient extraction with water, malt must be milled. Early milling processes used stones
driven manually or by water or animal power, but modern brewing uses mechanically driven
roller mills. The design of the mill and the gap between the rolls are important in obtaining the
correct reduction in size of the malt. The object is to retain the husk relatively intact while
breaking up the brittle, modified starch into particles.
• Mashing
The milled malt, called grist, is mixed with water and powder hop, providing conditions in which
starch, other molecules, and enzymes are dissolved and rapid enzyme action takes place. The
solute-rich liquid produced in mashing is called the wort.
Traditionally, mashing may be one of two distinct types. The simplest process, infusion mashing,
uses well-modified malt, two to three volumes of water per volume of grist, a single vessel called
a mash tun, and a single temperature.
With well-modified malt, breakdown of proteins and glucans has already occurred the starch
readily gelatinizes and the amylases become very active. Less-well-modified malt, however,
benefits from a period of mashing at lower temperatures to permit the breakdown of proteins and
glucans.
Other sources of starch that gelatinize can be mashed along with malt. Wheat flour and corn
(maize) flakes may be added directly to the mash, whereas corn grits and rice grits must first be
boiled in order to gelatinize. Their use requires a third vessel, the cereal cooker. For the aromatic
qualities and flavors of tella some any other additives are added with malt during mashing. One
of the most common in traditional and modern tella production is hop.
• Fermentation
The wort found from the mixing of malt, hop and water is now ready for further mixing. At this
stage wort, darkened bread and water are mixed together.
Tella has a smoky flavor due to the addition of bread darkened by baking and use of a
fermentation vessel which has been smoked by inversion over smoldering wood. This
fermentation process produces somewhat more gelatin product. The final product of the chemical
reaction steps is this highly concentrated gelatin tella. This product is considered as final product
although it is highly concentrated .
Yeasts require dissolved oxygen for a brief period of time after pitching so the cells can respire
and grow, implying that yeast needs oxygen to bud and must respire before it can ferment wort.
It is true that aerating or oxygenating wort is generally beneficial to fermentation, but it is untrue
to say that yeast requires oxygen to reproduce or that yeast uses oxygen to respire during
fermentation.
Yeast cells break down glucose molecules within the cell to release energy. The breakdown of
glucose also releases carbon atoms, which become available for biosynthetic reactions, enabling
the yeast to grow and reproduce by budding. The partial oxidation that occurs during
fermentation does not require free oxygen. Note that despite the name of the process, oxidation
does not necessarily involve oxygen; it simply means that electrons are transferred during a
reduction-oxidation reaction.
Fermentation can proceed either in the presence or absence of oxygen. If we use oxygen, the
process will be respiration not fermentation. In respiration yeasts take the supplied oxygen and
completely oxidize glucose. Much of the energy released is captured by ATP in a series of tightly
coupled biochemical reactions. This process is absolutely dependent on oxygen, and it produces
water and carbon dioxide as by-products. While water is produced as a byproduct, the
concentration of the gelatin will be highly reduced. But, mostly for food companies including
beverage factories, including our project the fermentation process has beed held in anaerobic
conditions. This is because, the aerobic bacteria may lead the final product to undergo oxidation
reaction while refrigerating (increase the DO level). The production of ethanol during
fermentation may contribute to yeast survival because of its toxicity to other microorganisms.
• Dilution
The gelatin like highly concentrated tella product (didif) mixed in water in order to decrease its
concentration. In here no chemical reaction takes place. The only thing happen in this step is
dilution of the highly concentrated tella to commercialize one. This step takes the shortest period
of time of all steps. At this step two different products are produced. One pure modernized
concentration tella Malt and hope is mixed in water using mixer. Wort is mixed with water and
darkens bread to produce highly concentrated tella which is the main product to drink. The
second and by product of tella production process is the residue. The residue sometimes diluted
again and again to get pure less in quality tella product. The final waste product of tella is given
to cattle.
3.3.2 Packaging and Shelf life of Tella
A. Packaging
Packaging is an enclosure of products, items or packages in a wrapped pouch, bag, box, cup,
tray, can, tube, bottle or other container form to perform one or more of the following functions
as containment, protection and /or preservation, communications and utility or performance.  If
the device or container performs one or more of these functions it is considered as a package.
Besides the traditional glass bottle, an increasing proportion of the world’s wine production is
packed in other containers, including bag-in-box (BIB), PET bottles, paperboard laminates, and
aluminum cans. As with bottles, the major influences on shelf life of these alternative packaging
formats are temperature, initial DO before packing, pickup during filling, package headspace,
and subsequent O2 ingress. To some extent these are controllable by the tella (wine) filling line
operator and related to equipment design and setup as well as choice of container material.
3.3.2.1 Basic functions of packaging
Efficient packaging is a necessity for every kind of food, whether it is fresh or processed .It is an
essential link between the food producer and the consumer, and unless performed correctly the
standing of the product suffers and customer goodwill is lost. The basic functions of packaging
are more specifically stated. 
• Containment
 The containment function involves the ability of the packaging to maintain its integrity during
the handling involved in filling, sealing, processing (in some cases, such as retorted, irradiated,
and high-pressure-processed foods), transportation, marketing, and dispensing of the product.
• Communication
The information that a package provides involves meeting both legal requirements and marketing
objectives. End product labels are required to provide information on the product processor,
ingredients (including possible allergens in simple language), net content, nutrient contents, and
country of origin. Package graphics are intended to communicate product quality and, thus, sell
the product. Package codes allow determination of liquor production location and date. Various
open dating systems inform the consumer about the shelf life of the food product. Plastic
containers incorporate a recycling code for identification of the plastic material.
• Preservation
Product preservation is the most important function of packaging. Preservation means the
establishment of a barrier between the contained product and the environment that competes with
man for the product. We may use different preservation mechanisms like refrigerating and using
additives when necessary. Refrigeration is the process which drastically increases the shelf life of
foods and beverages by storing under 4oC.
3.2.2.2 Sensory changes during packaging
That tella changes during packaging is one of its most fascinating properties. Mostly tellas
improve only for somewhere from a few days to a few months before showing irreversible loss
in quality. Furthermore, the changes are difficult to predict precisely.
• Aroma and Flavor
The sensory properties of wine change during maturation prior to packing and continue once
packaged; they can be influenced by the wine’s environment. Although some changes are
beneficial, ultimately over time all changes become unacceptable. “Maturation bouquet” may be
considered as post fermentation but prepacking changes, whereas “aging bouquet” may be
considered as “in-package” development.
Once closed, the bottle contains O2 from the original bulk wine, the headspace O2 remaining after
any gas flushing or vacuum application at the time of closure application, and any O2 within a
cellular structured closure if such is used. This latter O 2 will move with time, some escaping
from the bottle to its surroundings and some passing into the interior. Over time steady state
ingress may be established. The O2, SO2, and CO2 transmission rates of the package including
closures will impact on the shelf life. With O2 playing a pivotal role in the development and
longevity of bottled wine (tella), the O 2 level in the newly packaged wine and the quantity that
subsequently ingresses into the product is a key determinant of shelf life.
Different chemical changes take place in food during processing as well as during storage period.
The main concern is the flavor stability i.e. to maintain flavor intensity throughout the processing
stages and shelf life of the food product.
The major factors which affect the stability of flavor of tella are:
Heat treatment: It is said that heat is a friend as well as the enemy of flavoring compounds.
During processing, volatilization takes place, which is a loss of flavor (volatile component), as
many flavoring substances have a lower boiling point compared to other ingredients of the
product.
Volatilization reduces overall flavor impact; it makes the overall flavor system off balance. In
presence of heat, other ingredients that interact with flavor components affect the products taste
& aroma.
Oxidation: When oxidation is the primary concern, packaging with a low oxygen transmission 
rate and the use of oxygen absorbers (using antioxidants) can help extend the shelf life. 
Packaging materials: The packaging material may interact with the flavor constituents of the
product, which could cause the loss of desirable end product flavor and absorption of undesirable
off-flavor from components of the packaging. Direct contact with the product with packaging
material causes exchange or transfer of volatiles into food products. Factors like careless
processing and sealing temperature, affects the shelf life of the product
While packaging, we have to select proper materials to prolong the shelf life of the product.
Mostly glass is used than pure metal materials. Although glass is a brittle material glass
containers have high top load strength making them easy to handle during filling and
distribution. While the weight factor of glass is unfavorable compared with plastics, considerable
savings are to be made in warehousing and distribution costs. Glass containers can withstand
high top loading with minimal secondary packaging. Glass is an elastic material and will absorb
energy.
Storage condition: Different storage conditions of the product also affect flavor stability as
some ingredients can be temperature sensitive. To avoid that, proper storage conditions should be
always mentioned on the packaging.
 • Dissolved Oxygen Behavior Post bottling
Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a non-compound form of oxygen which is a relative measure of the
amount of oxygen (O2) dissolved in water, which can occur through aeration or by being diffused
within the surrounding air. It is highly is affected by temperature and this is the reason that we
have to refrigerate the product.
The dissolved oxygen in bottled wine (tella) originates from the dissolved oxygen in the wine, as
well as the oxygen in the headspace after bottling.
The pattern of change in DO post bottling depends on initial DO levels, remaining headspace O 2,
the O2 in the closure and subsequent O2 ingress, the last two being dependent on the closure
system. O2 ingress varies considerably from closure system to closure system and also according
to how the bottles are stored. At the outside end, this will continue until the internal closure
pressure equals that of the atmosphere. The inside end process is more complex, being affected
by factors such as the closure internal pressure, gas flushing if used, the extent of pre insertion
vacuum application, and tella composition.
Depending on the closure characteristics, storage position, and temperature, and presuming the
wine has the capacity to react with all the transferred O 2, there could be a substantial time period
before the steady state is reached for the solution-diffusion process.
Depending on the beverage’s composition, high levels of dissolved oxygen in beverages may
have a considerable impact on the product’s quality and shelf life. Not only the drink itself, but
also the package type needs to be considered.
High levels of dissolved oxygen (O2) in beverages may cause changes in the beverage’s aroma
and taste, changes in color, and the loss of nutritional value. The more oxygen in the beverage
container, the faster the oxidation takes place. The solubility of both, O 2 and N2, in beverages is
low which means that the majority of both gases are found in the head space.

• Shelf Life of Tella

Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use,
consumption, or sale.  In some regions, an advisory best before, mandatory use by or freshness
date is required on packaged products. The concept of expiration date is related but legally
distinct in some jurisdictions. The shelf life of wine depends on a variety of factors, such as the
vintage, label, preparation method and how it is stored.
The quality of most beverages decreases with storage or holding time. The shelf life of a product
is best determined as a part of the product development cycle. Shelf life is the period between the
manufacture and the retail purchase of a food product, during which time the product is in a state
of satisfactory quality in terms of nutritional value, taste, texture and appearance”. Or it is the
period of time during which the end product will remain safe; be certain to retain desired
sensory, chemical, physical, microbiological and functional characteristics; and comply with any
label declaration of nutritional data when stored under the recommended conditions” .
The date of minimum durability is defined as the date until which the end product retains its
specific properties when properly stored. It must be indicated by the words “Best before”
followed by the date (or a reference to where the date is given on the labeling). Depending on
how long the food can keep, the date can be expressed by the day and the month, the month and
the year, or the year alone.
Consumers expect to purchase high-quality, fresh product. Manufacturers are also challenged
with determining and maximizing the shelf life for products that are exposed to varying
conditions in the supply chain. Shelf life touches on all the issues mentioned, and shelf-life
determination is an essential requirement in providing safe, quality end products to consumers.
It is important to understand the mode of the product deterioration to establish the product’s shelf
life. Product formulation, process conditions, and storage conditions are important factors for
product shelf life. Careful consideration of experimental design and test parameters is essential
for accurate shelf-life evaluation. The shelf life of commercial products should be monitored and
adjusted as required. Following these considerations will help ensure a safe, quality food product
that meets customers’ expectations.
Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence the shelf life of beverage products.
Pressure must be regulated equal with the atmospheric pressure. If the pressure of the wine
exceeds the atmospheric pressure, it will lead to destruction of the equipment. The other basic
parameter during an investigation of shelf life of tella is PH. Since like that of temperature, PH
determines the suitability of the wine for microbial growth which highly affects the shelf life of
the wine, it has to be in the range of standardized amount which is acceptable by the consumers.
Nature of equipment comprises the major effect once the wine is prepared. We have to take care
of selecting suitable equipment while storing the wine because the components which made the
equipment may alter the required composition of the wine. Therefore, non-plastic materials
(mostly stainless steel) have to be chosen for storing the prepared wine.
Product characteristics include formulation and processing parameters (i.e. intrinsic factors).
• Intrinsic Factors
Intrinsic factors are the properties resulting from the make-up of the final product and include the
following:
• Mixing Ratio
The mixing ratios of ingredients which make the product determine the shelf life of the end
product. This is because if the ingredients are not properly proportionated, activity of enzymes
may not function correctly. Not only for activity of enzymes, the color, flavor and concentration
of the clear tella juice will be not in the required basis. The variation in concentration will
indirectly affect the shelf life of the product.
• Fermentation Period (Duration)
This factor plays a vital role in determining the “best before” life of the product. Fermentation
process is the operation where enzymes, which come up naturally with the barley, grow and
duplicated. These enzymes break down the carbohydrates especially the polysaccharides into
disaccharides and convert them into the desired amount of alcohol and CO 2. This can be done
only if the fermentation period is optimum. This process has to be last for maximum of 2-3 days
depending on the environmental conditions of the surrounding atmosphere. If the fermentation
process is going on above this range, enzymatic activity may go forth and they may consume the
desired components as their food and hence the alcohol content may vigorously lowered and they
lead the clear tella juice acidic.

• PH/Acidity
The sugar comes from malt convert into lactic acid by the activity of lactic acid bacteria. These
bacteria create high acidic environment and inhibit the growth of other tella spoilage
microorganisms.
The acid taste of wine (tella) mostly is determined by the presence of active enzymes called
lactase enzymes. These enzymes have to be controlled to regulate the PH/acidity of the wine
(tella). If these enzymes present in the tella in excess, it will be spoiled or acidified in a short
period. Their metabolic activities can be controlled by lowering their optimum temperature
which enables them to grow fast through refrigerating. While refrigerating, all enzymes cannot
be destroyed but their growth and multiplication will be ceased because there are many species
which can withstand the cold temperature after refrigerating .
• Packaging
The quality of a beverage is also dependent on its packaging. It is because the packaging keeps
the product safe from all the external factors.
If a beverage is enclosed in a high-quality multi-layer packaging, environmental effects like
harmful rays of sunlight cannot ruin it. A high-quality packaging also increases the shelf life of a
beverage. In addition to that, the aesthetics of packaging can help make the beverage appealing
for the consumers.
 For shelf-stable products, the barrier of the package can affect the shelf life. Optimum
requirements should be fulfilled and it must be carried on in a microbial freeway to prevent their
activity and to keep the best before life of the product.
 The presence and concentration of gases in the environment surrounding the wine (tella) have
a considerable influence on the growth of microorganisms, and the atmosphere inside the
package is often modified. The simplest way of modifying the atmosphere is vacuum packaging,
that is, removal of air (and thus O2) from a package prior to sealing; it can have a beneficial
effect by preventing the growth of aerobic microorganisms. Flushing the inside of the package
with a gas such as CO2 or N2 before sealing is the basis of modified atmosphere packaging
(MAP). For example, increased concentrations of gases such as CO 2 are used to retard microbial
growth and thus extend the shelf life of products.

• Transportation and storage conditions

 Exposure of the product to variable temperatures and relative humidity in the supply chain
(including the retail environment) can affect the shelf life of products. For refrigerated products,
higher-than-optimal temperature, storage can accelerate microbial growth. Oxidation reactions
are also accelerated by higher temperature exposure, thus shortening the shelf life of products.
• Consumer handling
After purchase, transfer of the product from the store to home can result in higher temperature
exposure. Consumer refrigerators can also be at higher-than-optimal storage temperatures.
Once the package is opened, the shelf-life date assigned by the product manufacturer is no longer
applicable. The customer has to handle based on the provided information on the label of the
bottle.
• Extrinsic Factors (Environment Factors)
Environment to which the product is exposed during distribution and storage i.e. extrinsic
factors. Extrinsic factors are a result of the environment that the product encounters during life
and include the following:
• Temperature
Temperature is a key factor in determining the rates of deteriorative reactions, and in certain
situations the packaging material can affect the temperature of the product. For packages that are
stored in refrigerated display cabinets, most of the cooling takes place by conduction and
convection. Simultaneously, there is a heat input by radiation from the fluorescent lamps used for
lighting. Under these conditions, aluminum foil offers real advantages because of its high
reflectivity and high conductivity. Besides, temperature initiates microbial action.
• Light
Many deteriorative changes in the nutritional quality of foods are initiated or accelerated by
light. Light is, essentially, an electromagnetic vibration in the wavelength range between 4000
and 7000 A, the wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) light ranges between 2000 and 4000 A. The
catalytic effects of light are most pronounced in the lower wavelengths of the visible spectrum
and in the UV spectrum. The intensity of light and the length of exposure are significant factors
in the production of discoloration and flavor defects in packaged products.
The basic solution that can be taken for thus problem is selecting the packaging materials
properly. Packaging materials should be that they can’t easily be penetrated by light rays (i.e.
glass bottle)
• Enzymatic reactions
As the temperature of the wine (tella) increase and as the product is exposed to light, the
probability of the wine to be spoiled will be increased. The temperature should be kept low
possibly because the microbial activities are highly dependent on amount of temperature and
thus the end product must be refrigerated.
In addition, these types of reactions can lead to important off-flavors. Enzyme-induced oxidative
breakdown of unsaturated fatty acids occurs extensively in plant tissues, and this yields sour test.
In beverage packaging technology, knowledge of enzyme action is essential to a fuller
understanding of the implications of different forms of packaging. The importance of enzymes to
the beverage processor is often determined by the conditions prevailing within and outside the
beverage. Control of these conditions is necessary to control enzymatic activity during product
processing and storage. The major factors useful in controlling enzyme activity are
temperature, water activity, pH, chemicals that can inhibit enzyme action, alteration of
substrates, alteration of products, and preprocessing control.
Three of these factors are particularly relevant in a packaging context. The first is temperature
i.e.  The ability of a package to maintain a low product temperature and thus retard enzyme
action will often increase product shelf life.
The second important factor is water activity (concentration), because the rate of enzyme activity
is dependent on the amount of water available, low levels of water can severely restrict
enzymatic activities and even alter the pattern of activity. Finally, alteration of substrate (in
particular, the ingress of O2 into a package) is important in many O2 dependent reactions that are
catalyzed by enzymes.
• Oxidation
Autoxidation is the reaction of molecular O2 by a free radical mechanism with hydrocarbons and
other compounds. The reaction of free radicals with O2 is extremely rapid, and many
mechanisms for initiation of free radical reactions have been described. The crucial role that
autoxidation plays in the development of undesirable flavors and aromas in beverages is well
documented, and autoxidation is a major cause of beverage deterioration. The addition of
preservatives or antioxidants can extend the shelf life of the product.
Thus, antioxidant chemicals can be used to withstand the problem since it controls oxidation
reaction or oxygen activities.
 • Microbiological changes
Microorganisms can make both desirable and undesirable changes to the quality of finished
products, depending on whether they are introduced as an essential part of product preservation
process or arise adventitiously and subsequently grow to produce food spoilage. Every
microorganism has a limiting water activity value below which it will not grow, form spores, or
produce toxic metabolites.
Water activity can influence each of the four main growths cycle phases by its effect on the
germination time, the length of the lag phase and the growth rate phase, the size of the stationary
population, and the subsequent death rate. Whether a microorganism survives or dies in a low
water activity environment is influenced by intrinsic factors that are also responsible for its
growth at higher water activity. Key extrinsic factors relating to water activity that influence
microbial deterioration in tella include temperature, O2, and chemical treatments. These factors
can combine in a complex way to encourage or discourage microbial growth.

4. Time plan
Table 1 Time plan

Months activities will be done

February March April May June
Activities W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W W

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Proposal
writing
Review
literature
Experimenta
l set up
Paper
writing
 Sample
collection
Paper
writing
&data
analyzing
Submission
date of draft
paper
Finalizing
paper
Presentation

5. Budget Plan
Table 2 Stationary, secretarial and transportation cost
No Item Unit Amount Unit price Total price
(Birr) (Birr)
1. Paper Gross 1 500 500
2. Flash disk Pcs 1 180 180
3. Pen Pcs 0.25 150 37.5
4. Calculator Pcs 1 140 140
5. Binder 1 40 40
6 Printing Page 70 1 70
Sum total 967.5

Table 3 Materials and chemicals used

No Item Unit Amount Unit Total price

price(Birr) (Birr)
1 Alergenic Sulfite Gm 5 100 500
2. Methyl Glycol Ml 20 10 200
3 Glove Pcs 1 10 80
4 Mask Pcs 1 10 100
5 Gesho Kilo 1 50 50
6 Barley Kilo 3 10 30
7 Maize Kilo 5 12 60
Sum total 1020
Total Grand 1987.5

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