Abstract:
The traditional fermented beverage has advanced both low-income consumers as well as women
in terms of revenue generation and are largely viewed as being a major health problem due to
contamination. The objective of this study was to assess the Microbiology and proximate
composition analysis ofwacatha and Ogoli traditionally fermented beverage produced in Abobo
district, Gambella, Western Ethiopia. A cross-sectional design was employed for sociodemographic
and sample collection. Wacatha and Ogoli vendors were considered as respondents.
Standard methods were used for the enumeration of aerobic mesophilic bacteria,
Enterobacteriaceae, coliform, aerobic bacterial spore, staphylococci, lactic acid bacteria, and
yeasts. A total of 60 (30 each of wacatha and ogoli) samples were collected from Abobo district.
Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. The result of the sociodemographic study
showed, 80% of wacatha venders were women. 70% of ogoli were male, about 46.7% of
wacatha vendors were in secondary, 50% of ogoli were in a primary. About 93.3% of wacatha
and 100% of ogoli did not use special cloth for selling. The mean microbial count of (log
CFU/ml) of Wacatha sample were dominated by Yeasts (7.17±0.037), Aerobic mesophilic
bacteria (7.05±0.24), Coliform (6.62±0.39), Staphylococcus (5.85±0.34), LAB (5.02±0.35),
Enterobacteriaceae (Entero) (4.67±0.53), and spore-forming bacteria (ASFB) (1.56±0.13). But
Ogoli was dominated by yeast (7.08±0.21), AMB (6.94±0.20), coliform (6.67±0.37), Staph
(6.60±0.27), LAB (5.59±0.14), Entero (5.02±0.48), and ASFB (2.47 ±0.06). A total of 606
isolates, 314 isolates from Wacatha, and 292 isolates from Ogoli were characterized and grouped
into 15 genera with 413 rods and 193 cocci shapes, the microbial dynamic in both Wacatha and
Ogoli at the beginning were dominated by Entero, AMB, and Coliform while at the end of
fermentation was dominated by yeasts. The physicochemical parameters in Wacatha were pH
(3.84±0.24), Temperature (19.7±1.8), Titratable (1.37±0.23), Alcoholic (3.4±0.15), Moisture
(94.3±0.4), Total ash (0.25±0. 51), fat (0.25±050), Total protein (0.70±0.1 5) and carbohydrate
(4.4±0.41). Whereas Ogoli pH (3.76±0.26), (15. 6±0.34), Titratable (1.31±0.25), Alcoholic
(3.3±0.10), Moisture (94.9±0.39), ash (0.20±0.11), fat (0.24±0.05), protein (0.65±0.17), and
carbohydrate (4.5±0. 61). The high count of microbial in the two beverages of poor-quality
indicators could be due to poor personal hygiene, processing, and materials. Largely, the
microbial load of beverages was over the limit so a call for attention is mandatory.
