BEVERAGE PRODUCTION
Modern microfiltration technology ensures production and packaging of perishable goods is done so aseptically, eliminating spoilage organisms and extending shelf life so goods reach customers with the desired taste. Within the beverage industry, microfiltration can extend shelf-life, increase the visual clarity and preserve flavour. It also allows beverage producers the opportunity to improve energy efficiency and lower their carbon footprint when used as an alternative to flash pasteurization.
Parker offers a range of technologies for controlling physical, chemical and microbial hazards within beverage production and packaging.
BOTTLED WATER PRODUCTION
Protecting the purity of bottled water
From factory to factory, every bottled water process is different, so expectations of the filtration systems used generates a wide degree of choice in approach. By understanding the specific requirements for each stage of an individual process, Parker offers value added filtration solutions which increase process efficiency and reduce wastage.
Parker’s filters clarify natural mineral water to remove suspended fine particulate and sterilize filtered water by eliminating all particulate including colloids and bacteria as small as 0.2µm. These microfiltration solutions also help reduce microplastics suspended in high quantities of drinking water which are a suspected byproduct of the bottling process itself.
Solutions for Bottled Water Production
POINT-OF ENTRY CLARIFICATION
Water entering a bottling facility directly from a source is referred to as point-of-entry (POE) and requires clarification to remove any insoluble contaminants before entering intermediate storage. To be considered a ‘Natural Mineral Water,’ this is the only step permitted within Europe. The filtration employed for this requirement must handle a high and variable particle loading and an ideal filter at this stage can improve overall process efficiency.
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PRE-STABILIZATION AND MEMBRANE PROTECTION
Pre-stabilization protects final membrane filters from colloidal particulate. Most waters have suspended solids moving in solution which are the major cause of membrane filter blockage. Removing the solids results in longer service life of the membranes and lower running costs. As product water moves through the bottling facility, intermediate storage may be necessary. Pre-stabilization limits the microorganisms entering storage tanks so that potential for biofilm development is reduced.
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FINAL STABILIZATION
To ensure complete elimination of micro-organisms from bottled water, the final stabilization process is essential. The BEVPOR range of filter cartridges reliably removes micro-organisms down to 0.2µm while maintaining the water’s essential constituents, which contribute towards the product’s unique properties. Routine integrity testing of sterile liquid filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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BOTTLED WATER PURGE
During processes, water may remain in equipment such as pipes. This water is flushed out using compressed gas or air, which can introduce airborne contaminants to the product. The sterile filtration of compressed gases removes all airborne particulate including dust, bacteria and industrial lubricants from the air, ensuring the product remains contaminant-free. Routine integrity testing of sterile gas filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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BOTTLED WATER TANK VENT FILTRATION
To ensure bottled water does not succumb to microbial contamination, it is essential that all gas entering the storage vessels is sterile. Gas pressure is typically low during most tank vent filtration applications, so the flow performance of the filter and the size of the filter element is important for performance and cost-savings. Routine integrity testing of sterile gas filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS (CSD)
The carbon dioxide (CO2) that is injected into a beverage must be free of particles, micro-organisms and unwanted chemical compounds to avoid a quality incident. Such an incident may occur where a delivery of out of specification CO2 has been made to the plant or where the CO2 has been contaminated onsite during the production process. The effects of a quality incident are damaging, often resulting in a challenge to consumer safety, and harm to brand names, company reputations and revenues.
QUALITY INCIDENT PROTECTION FOR CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS AND SPARKLING WATER
The dangers of unwanted impurities in beverage grade CO2 gas are internationally recognized within the carbonated soft drinks industry with global brand leaders addressing this risk through proactive measures. One such measure is the inclusion in the manufacturing process flow of a quality incident protection device.
Reference Materials:
- Quality Incident Protection for the sparkling beverage industry
- White paper - Carbon Dioxide Quality Incident Protection Safeguarding against the threat of contaminated gas in soft drink bottling
The Parker PCO2 System is a quality incident protection device that is installed to protect against poor-quality contaminated gas which may pass through the supply chain and into the beverage. Well established in bottling plants throughout the world, the PCO2 incorporates a multi-mix of adsorbents that effectively remove contamination. It is designed as a quality incident protection device: it will treat out-of-specification CO2 to return it back to within the limits of the specification.
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WINE PRODUCTION
Delivering value from vine to bottler
The perfect wine should be visually clear, flavourful and maintain its stability over long periods of time. Traditional methods for clarification, such as settling and racking, often don’t remove all the particulate and spoilage organisms, producing a cloudy, unstable wine. Clarification and stabilization using microfiltration ensure the removal of particulate and organisms down to 0.45µm, creating a beautifully clear and stable wine without altering the delicate flavour.
Solutions for Wine Production
TRAP FILTRATION AND CRYSTAL REMOVAL
Visible clarity is a sought-after characteristic of good wine. Trap filtration using Parker’s PEPLYN range of clarification filters removes suspended particulate and naturally occurring crystals to ensure clear wine suitable for intermediate storage. It also reduces costs by lowering the workload of downstream stabilization filters.
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STABILIZATION, STANDARDIZATION AND TANK REMOVAL
In order to protect wine quality during storage or transportation, yeast and other microbial loadings should be reduced. Parker’s PREPOR range of wine filters has been developed to excel in tank transfer applications. The PREPOR NG filter is an ideal choice for increased microbial security, fine particle retention and has the strength necessary to withstand repeated cleaning and backwash regeneration.
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FINAL STABILIZATION
In order to produce stable wine which protects and develops flavour once packaged, the presence of spoilage organisms must be eliminated. They can ruin wine by causing off flavours and haze or cloudiness, with contamination from strongly fermenting yeasts causing bottle explosions. Parker’s BEVPOR filters use an inert PES membrane that provides validated retention to typical spoilage organisms without impacting the wine’s taste or colour profiles. Routine integrity testing of sterile liquid filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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FINE WINE POLISHING AND FILTER MEMBRANE PROTECTION
Mature or fortified wine is already physically, chemically and microbiologically stable and only requires a final polish to improve clarity and to remove any yeast and bacteria which may be present. Additionally, final membrane filtration is typically the most expensive stage of filtration. Installing pre-filters to remove suspended particles and reduce microbial loading can reduce the costs of replacement final filters.
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WINE PURGE
Product purging involves the displacement of wine from tanks and pipes using compressed gas. Compressed gasses may harbour potentially harmful microorganisms, which could lead to product contamination. Sterile filtration of the compressed gas prevents this wine purging from introducing bacteria to the product, maintaining the wine’s stability. Routine integrity testing of sterile gas filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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WINE TANK VENT FILTRATION
During storage, water may be exposed to external contaminants which enter the tank through vents. These airborne contaminants, which contact the water, may consequentially spoil the wine product. Sterile gas filters fitted to the ventilation of the tank eliminates the possibility of product contamination by the removal of all airborne organisms. Routine integrity testing of sterile gas filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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BREWING
Protect beer quality at the lowest cost
Parker continually offers significant process benefits to brewers across the globe by combining specialist brewing knowledge with a dedicated product range to lower costs, increase volume and protect the flavour of beer.
To ensure that the perfect beer is produced and enjoyed time after time, Parker offers energy-efficient and cost-effective products for each stage of the brewing process, from trap filtration of large particulate, down to the microbial stabilization of beer and the microfiltration of gasses used for the bottling process.
Solutions for Beer Production
TRAP FILTRATION
After fermentation, “green beer” contains a high degree of solids and suspended material. In order to produce clear, visually appealing beer with a defined shelf life, the brew requires clarification and stabilization. A trap filter system, using Parker’s PEPLYN range of clarification filters, captures any solid particulate left behind following fermentation. It provides a consistent level of particulate filtration and delivers a certain quality of bright beer to intermediate storage. This ensures maximum efficiency of downstream operations.
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COLD STABILIZATION / STERILE FILTRATION
Cold stabilization refers to microfiltration of beer to remove spoilage organisms prior to packaging. There are various spoilage organisms which must be removed, typically yeast, acetic acid and lactic acid bacteria. Yeast and bacteria present in beer after the brewing process can cause spoilage, off-flavours and smells. Sterile filtration increases the shelf life of beer by the removal of these organisms and is more cost-effective and energy efficient than alternative methods of stabilization such as pasteurization.
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BRIGHT BEER TANK PRE-TREATMENT
Depending upon process conditions, the levels of micro-organisms entering the bright beer tank may need to be reduced to protect the beer during periods of intermediate storage prior to final treatment and packaging. Microfiltration of beer prior to storage to reduce the microbial loading protects the quality of the brew during storage, allows flexibility in filling operations and improves the efficiency of the downstream systems.
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PRE-STABILIZATION AND MEMBRANE PROTECTION
Optimal prefiltration can help achieve long service-life and efficient use of final filtration systems. Final microfilters used during the sterile filtration process can become clogged and require frequent replacement if they are exposed to a high volume of large particulate. The PREPOR range of filter cartridges effectively condition your beer by removing large particulate in preparation for downstream sterile filtration.
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GAS STABILIZATION FOR ASEPTIC FILLING
There is generally a high risk of microbial contamination during filling operations due to the favourable conditions for microbial growth – high humidity and the presence of moisture. Packaging operations must be aseptic and the microbial hazards adequately controlled. To minimize the risk of microbial contamination and to achieve stable beer once packaged, it is essential that any gas used during aseptic filling operations is effectively sterilized. Routine integrity testing of sterile gas filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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BEER PURGE
During the brewing process, product can remain in the pipes. This product is often pushed along by ‘flushing’ the pipes with air, forcing the beer downstream. The introduction of unfiltered compressed air into the process may introduce micro-organisms into the product. To avoid contamination, this compressed air can be sterile filtered before use within the brewing process, maintaining the stability of the beer. Routine integrity testing of sterile gas filters ensures filters are not damaged and fit for purpose.
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BEER TANK VENT FILTRATION
During storage, air enters the beer tank through air vents, which can introduce contaminants from the external environment to the beer and lead to reduced shelf life. Filters fitted to the air vents help remove the possibility of airborne contaminants reaching the beer, which helps improve stability
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UTILITIES
Regardless of the beverage being produced, utilities serve as the fundamental components for creating products and facilitating operations. The quality and management of these utilities – which include process, service, and product water, as well as air, gas and steam - have a significant impact on overall process efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Parker’s range of filtration and purification technologies can help manufacturers achieve the right quality for the intended use of their utility fluids ensuring a smooth, contamination-free process.