Browsing by Author "Kahandage, K.P.M."

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    A Case Study in Analysing Chemical and Microbial Properties of Orthodox Black Tea Manufactured in Uva High Region
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Wewelwala, N.A.C.S.; Kahandage, K.P.M.; Wedamulla, N.E.; Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P.
    Sri Lankan teas are accepted as the finest tea produced in the world. Quality of tea is determined by it‟s physical, chemical and microbiological properties. But very few research studies shown the variation of quality parameters during black tea manufacturing against the manufacturing method and selling catalogues. Therefore, this case study was conducted to investigate the variation of selected quality parameters of Orthodox black tea from Uva high region during its manufacturing process. In Chemical analysis, Total polyphenol content (TPC) (ISO 14502-1;2005) and radical scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (AOAC International standards) were determined with some modifications to the standard analytical methods. Samples were taken (n=3) from six stages of manufacturing process. The IC50 values of DPPH radical scavenging activity changed from 7.96±0.08 ppm (withering) to 69.79±3.73 ppm (winnowing), indicating that withering stage has highest antioxidant content. The TPC ranged from 1.46 ±0.03 to 6.08 ±0.11 mg GAE g-1 dry leaves but no linear relationship exists between TPC and antioxidant activity (p>0.05) (R2 = 0.4803). In microbial analysis, Total plate and Yeast and mold counts were determined (Sri Lanka Tea Board - SLS 516: part 1 and SLS 516:2;1991) and highest microbial counts were identified in winnowing stage as 6.22x106 CFU g-1 (Total plate count) and 2.82 x106 CFU g-1 (yeast and mold count) respectively. However, the tea collected from packing, had not exceeded the acceptable levels of minimum requirement for exportation (ISO 3720:2011). Research findings exhibit that the tea manufactured in respective factory, is satisfied the minimum requirements for exportation but hand hygiene practices, and cleanliness of contacting surfaces may be the cause of highest microbial counts of tea samples in winnowing. This study recommends further studying of microbial parameters to investigate the contaminations of tea in tea factories. Keywords: Orthodox black tea; Uva high region; Selling Catalogue; Antioxidant activity
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Determinants of Tea Exporters' Intention to Import Other Origin Orthodox Tea
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2016) Dilina, M.A.D.T.; Kahandage, K.P.M.; Herath, H.M.S.K.; Yasarathne, S.
    Currently, Sri Lanka allows importing all Cut, Tear, Curl (CTC) tea, green tea, organic tea and specialty tea but restricts Orthodox tea. Under such condition, exporters have a positive intention on importing Orthodox teas too. Therefore, this study attempted to find the determinants of intention to import other origin Orthodox tea to Sri Lanka and to assess awareness of tea exporters' on repercussions if importation of tea is liberalized. A sample with 90 tea export companies was randomly selected and data were collected using structured questionnaires and interviews. Regression analyses were undertaken to find determinants. According to descriptive analysis, large scale companies have the highest intention to import tea than small and medium companies. Moreover, it revealed that the companies having an intention to import Orthodox tea to the country are experiencing higher cost of production than no intention companies. As per the results, cost of production, market share, international competition and time period of company started significantly affected on the intention to import other origin Orthodox tea to the country. Keywords: Importation, Orthodox tea, Intention
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Development of a Herbal Tea Bag from Sweet Potato Leaves (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) and Evaluation of its Physicochemical and Sensory Parameters
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Ganegoda, G.W.P.M.; Arachchi, M.P.M.; Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P.; Wedamulla, N.E.; Kahandage, K.P.M.
    Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) is an economically important nutritious root crop that was considered the 7th most important food crop in the world. Though sweet potato plants are typically grown for their sweet tubers, leaves also a rich source of nutrients. However due to lack of awareness of its nutritional composition and health benefits, still sweet potato leaves remain underutilized. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop a herbal tea from sweet potato leaves and to evaluate its quality parameters. Two varieties of sweet potato leaves (Red variety „Ama‟ and yellow variety „CARI 426‟) were selected and proximate composition, antioxidant activity and total polyphenolic content were analyzed by AOAC 2000, 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay and Folin-Ciocalteau methods respectively. Moisture, total fat, crude fiber, ash, protein and carbohydrate content of fresh leaves of „Ama‟ variety was 86.78±0.72%,11.73±0.12%,19.35±0.59%,19.44±0.73%, 22.5±1.36%, 26.98% respectively while for CARI 426 values were 85.79±0.24%, 9.94±0.23%, 13.56±0.58% ,17.9±0.64%, 14.72±0.39%,43.88% respectively. For fresh leaves, antioxidant values were obtained as 59.33±1.24%,41.05±2.18% for Ama and CARI 426 respectively at 500μg/mL while total polyphenolic content was obtained as 5.56g/100g and 3.17g/100g at dry weight respectively. The results obtained for antioxidant values, for freeze dried Ama and CARI 426 leaves were 69.66±1.24% and 41.66±2.05% respectively at 500 μg/mL while total phenolic content was 6.94g/100g and 4.55g/100g at dry weight. Ama variety was chosen to prepare the herbal tea considering its highest antioxidant and total phenolic content. Four different herbal teas were prepared by adding strawberry, vanilla, orange flavor and control was used without adding any flavor. Sensory analysis was carried out with 30 untrained panelists using a 9-point hedonic scale to determine the best herbal tea product. Among those flavors, orange flavored herbal tea shows the best sensory acceptability. It can be concluded that sweet potato leaves can be used to develop a value- added herbal drink. However further studies should be needed to evaluate its functional properties. Keywords: Sweet potato leaves; Freeze drying; Antioxidant activity, Sensory properties
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Estimation of Water Footprint of Black Tea Production: A Case Study in Madulsima Plantations PLC, Badulla, Sri Lanka
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2021) Dayarathna, B.D.S.; Aberathna, W.S.S.L.; Withanage, N.S.; Kahandage, K.P.M.
    Water is an economic commodity as the availability of clean fresh water in short supply. Most water resource experts now agrees that inadequate water management , rather water shortage, is the primary cause of water conflicts. Meanwhile the virtual water concept has become popular in estimating the amount of water used in the production of goods or services, linking framework to find potential solutions and contributing to improved water resource management. Water footprint is a tool to calculate the amount of water that is consumed and polluted in all stages of a production process. Generally, three types of water are considered in water footprint calculations; green water, blue water and grey water. The present study was conducted to estimate the water footprint of black tea production at two tea estates of Madulsima Plantations PLC. Green water footprint of tea was calculated using CROPWAT 8.0 model. Blue and grey water footprint of black tea were calculated following the guidelines in the Water Footprint Assessment Manual. The results revealed that, the virtual water content of black tea production of Madulsima Plantations PLC was 4270.69 m3/ ton / year. Further the green water footprint for evapotranspiration of tea was 1090.7 mm / year. The total green water content in black tea of the studied two estates was 3227.68 m3 / ton and it is three times less than that of the average value of Sri Lanka while much less than those of China, India, and Kenya as available in the scientific literature. Further the blue water footprint of black tea production of these estates was 1.23 m3 / ton and it is negligible when compared with China and India. The grey water footprint of tea cultivation practices in these estates was 1041.78 m3 / ton and it is also less than those average values of the Sri Lanka and China. However, the grey water footprint of the studied two estates can be potentially reduced by incorporating organic cultivation concept in the long run. Keywords: Black tea production process; CROPWAT 8.0 model; Cultivation practices; Virtual water content; Water Footprint Assessment Manual
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors Affecting on the Continuous Improvement of ISO 22000:2005 Food Safety Management System; Case Study of a Cinnamon Processing Plant
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Pathirana, K.P.P.G.; Kanugala, K.A.N.P.; Kahandage, K.P.M.; Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P.
    Food safety is a fundamental public health concern for every performer in the food supply chain because wide number of food borne hazards present in the foods may cause many health problems and adverse effects for the global food trade. International organization for standardization has developed the international standard; ISO 22000 which specifies the basic requirements for a food safety management system in an organization. In order to enhance the food safety while reducing risks associated, it is vital to maintain the continuous improvement of this food safety management system in any processing plant. Even in cinnamon processing plants, it is essential to maintain the acquired long standing reputation in the international market. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify different organizational factors and the severity of the influential factors on continuous improvement of ISO 22000:2005 food safety management system. The primary data were collected from all respondents (30) who work in the plant through self-administered questionnaires and collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression model. According to the results, there were strong positive linear relationships between all the organizational factors and continuous improvement of ISO 22000:2005 food safety management system (R2=0.851; p< 0.01). Management commitment (p<0.05) and contribution of human resources for food safety management (p<0.1) significantly affected on continuous improvement of ISO 22000:2005 food safety management system. The study suggested to concern more on organizational factors along with the food safety standard and to provide sufficient training to enhance the knowledge of the workers about food safety, food safety risks and issues, and food safety requirements.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors Affecting the Buying Intention of Ceylon Organic Tea by Foreign Consumers
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Kothalawala, V. A.; Mahindarathne, M.G.P.P.; Kahandage, K.P.M.
    Changing food consumption patterns of consumers seem to be one of the big threats for living a healthy life. The conventional agriculture which uses chemicals and fertilizers ruin the environment and human being’s lifestyle. Therefore, the organic agriculture started booming up in many countries by taking the advantage of capturing the healthconscious consumer markets in providing organic foods for their daily intake. Being an attractive world tourist destination while knowing the best quality tea producer, Sri Lanka attempted to expand its markets since 1983. But the organic tea consumption of the local people in Sri Lanka become lesser than the organic tea consumption of the tourists’ who visit Sri Lanka annually. Therefore, this research focuses to identify the factors affecting the buying intention of Ceylon organic tea by foreign consumers. The first part of questionnaire covers customers’ demographic information and the second focuses on consumer knowledge, health consciousness, environmental concern, product attributes, perceived price, trust and perceived quality. Questionnaire survey was conducted and the data were collected from 100 respondents in two selected destinations of foreign tourists (Colombo and Ella area). The results obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression model. The findings of this study were identified the buying intention of foreign consumers in Sri Lanka towards Ceylon organic tea. It would assist practitioners, researchers and marketers to understand which factors are important to apply for their future research or business strategies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors Affecting Tourists’ Willingness Towards Agro-Tourism
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Nishshanka, N.P.C.S.; Mahindarathna, M.G.P.P.; Kahandage, K.P.M.
    Agro-tourism is an emerging and very prospective sub-sector of tourism which is still the infant stage in Sri Lanka. Agro-tourism is an important alternative source of income for rural dwellers including small-scale farmers in many countries of the developing world. There should be basic facilities to start and operate an agro tourism destination and hence, it has an ability to generate benefits for the owner and the surrounding community. To develop the agro tourism sector of the country, it is important to carry out research studies to generate a comprehensive understanding. The objectives of this study are to find consumer willingness towards Agro tourism in Sri Lanka and to identify potential agro tourists, identify their attitudes and preferences. To accomplish the objectives of the study, a semi- structured questionnaire was prepared and direct interviews were conducted with both local and foreign tourists who visited tourism destinations in Ella, Sigiriya and Anuradhapura. In the survey, 100 local tourists and 150 foreign tourists were selected using convenient sampling method. Chi-squared analysis was used to find the factors that affect the willingness of tourists on agro-tourism. While 19 factors were analyzed by chisquared test, results showed that 13 factors influenced on the willingness of foreign tourists on agro-tourism. Furthermore, only occupation, education, tourists’ expectation, days which are preferred to stay in a farm and facilities significantly affect the willingness of local tourists on agro-tourism.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Identification of Possible Microbial Contamination Points and Sources in Commercial Tea Blending Process Factory in Kelaniya
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2018) Liyanawickrmasinghe, T.R.; Dharmarathna, E.K.G.P.O.; Kahandage, K.P.M.; Abeyrathne, E.D.N.S.
    Exporting quality deteriorated tea will degrade the brand reputation of “Ceylon tea”. Rejecting tea at point of export will result a loss of international tea market. Objective was to determine the major contamination sources during black tea blending processing in tea blending factory in Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Nine control points including 06 swab collecting points (packing materials, blending floor, employees' hands, 3 stainless steel equipment used) and 03 tea samples (raw material feeding point, conveyor belt, bag feeding point) have been examined for the enumeration of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Coliforms, Escherichia coli, yeast and mould and Salmonella. Microbial count of raw and blended black tea was benchmarked with SLS black tea standards followed by Sri Lanka tea board. Microbial count of raw black tea and blended black tea for total aerobic bacteria and yeast and mould were log 12.2122 ± 0.6232 cfu /g, log 13.3636 ± 0.8751 cfu /g and log 11.9699 ± 0.7404 cfu/g, log 12.0755 ± 0.8751 cfu/g respectively and exceeded the acceptable level according to the Sri Lanka tea board. Employees' hands and blending floor were positive for E.coli and Salmonella tests indicating that high possibility to contaminate Black tea blending process through faecal matter. Control point examination identified, raw material as the primary contamination and personnel hands and blending floor as the secondary contamination sources. High microbial count of blending floor may be due to shoes of visitors and supervisors walking across the floor. In conclusion, there is a requirement to initiate GMP for primary tea processing to select black tea with low initial microbial counts to the plant. Initiation of proper hygiene conditions with sufficient sanitary applications is necessary to eliminate remaining particles from initial blending to minimize cross contaminations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Role of Food Quality and Safety Certificates of Biscuits on Purchasing Behavior of Consumers in Colombo District
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Sameera, H.D.R.; Dissanayaka, R.U.; Kahandage, K.P.M.; Amarakoon, A.M.C.; Wijesinghe, W.A.J.P.
    Food quality and safety certification is a third-party authentication which gives an assurance to its customer that the products, processes or systems meet its accredited food safety and quality standards. But customers would have diverse perspectives regarding the product quality whether these certifications displayed in the products to convince the customer. Therefore, this research was focused to identify the role of food quality and safety certificates on consumer purchasing behavior for a selected brand of biscuit. The study was carried out using 140 supermarket consumers in Colombo district, a known lead market in Sri Lanka. Primary data were collected using convenient sampling technique by administering a pre-tested questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model. As per the results, income level of the customer, age and product attributes had positive significant influence while perceived quality of the brand (0.082 level of significance) depicted negative significant influence on seeking product quality certifications at the point of purchase. In addition, customers assured the product quality via the product brand, price of the product, physical appearance and associated quality certifications with the product respectively when purchasing the biscuits. However, customers in any income level had not given the priority for the quality certifications during the purchase. Moreover, the most educated customers (79.5%) and majority of female (86.5%) seek for the quality certification when purchasing biscuits from supermarkets. Further, the awareness of food quality certification increased with the education among biscuit purchasing customers. In addition to the assurance given by the food quality and safety certifications, consumers had their own definitions to declare the quality of the product when making the purchasing decision.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Screening of Tea Germplasm on Suitability for Green Tea Manufacturing
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2016) Abesinghe, A.H. M. G. I.; Alwis, L.M.H.R.; Kahandage, K.P.M.; Ranatunga, M.A.B.
    Demand for green tea consumption has gone up among the local consumers. Thus, tea growers look for cultivars suitable for green tea production. Studies were conducted to screen the suitability oftea germplasm for green tea manufacturing aiming for developing better cultivars in future. Twenty six accessions from the germplasm representing exotic collection, recommended cultivars and estate selections were used. Two leaves and the bud were picked from plants and green tea was prepared using an optimized hand processing method by steaming to deactivate enzymes, hand rolling and pan frying, twisting and drying. Samples were triplicated and sensory evaluation on quality of ungraded green tea was done by professional tea tasters. Taster's comments were transformed into ranks and scores were summed up to get the Total Quality Score (TQS). Ranked data were subjected to cluster analysis using Average Distance Cluster method and resultant dendrogram was constructed using PAST 3 software. Twenty six accessions were grouped based on the average ratings given for individual quality parameters; dry leaf:, appearance, aroma, infused leaf: appearance, aroma, liquor: appearance, aroma, colour, taste using average linkage cluster analysis. Resultant dendrogram was clustered in to four major groups. First group comprised of CH13, estate selection and six accessions from the exotic germplasm collection. All those accessions were rated as producing high quality green tea. The second group consisted of TRI 4067 recommended cultivar and six other accessions from the exotic germplasm collection, which are also considered as good accessions for quality green tea. This is the first attempt on screening tea germplasm for developing a Sri Lankan green tea cultivar. Keywords: Green tea, Sensory evaluation, Exotic tea germplasm, Polyphenol, Caffeine
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Trade Barriers to Develop Export Market of Sri Lankan Desiccated Coconut Industry
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2020) Chandrasiri, U.A.P.A.; Mahindarathne, M.G.P.P.; Samarawickrema, S.; Kahandage, K.P.M.
    The desiccated coconut industry is one of the main export-oriented food processing industries in Sri Lanka. The European Union and the United States of America are the main markets for Sri Lankan desiccated coconut, followed by countries like Canada, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. The main objectives of this study were to identify the trade barriers for exporting. This study utilized primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey, and the secondary data were gathered from the reports of the Coconut Development Authority and also using the Trade Map. The main export barriers under the main five categories were figured out through the discussion with exporters, and officials of the Marketing Development and Research Division of Coconut Development Authority. Accordingly, a questionnaire was developed and 50 desiccated coconut exporting and manufacturing companies were interviewed. Descriptive analysis and bivariate correlation analysis were done. Descriptive analysis reveals that there are a high price and export volume fluctuation over years and a variety of destinations that export desiccated coconut in Sri Lanka. According to the correlation analysis, the resource barriers, product barriers, process barriers, and market barriers showed a significant negative correlation with the average income, whereas the knowledge barriers and market barriers show a positive significant relationship with the average income. Further, the resource barriers and market barriers were negatively correlated with the cost of production and the product barriers were positively correlated. Based on the findings, the government should intervene in providing technical knowledge and trade facilitation to improve production. Keywords: Desiccated coconut, Trade barriers, Export market, Sri Lanka