- 1. A Drink or beverage, is a liquid which isspecifically
prepared for human consumption.In addition to fulfilling a basic
humanneed, beverages form part ofthe culture of human society. Its
classificationincludes water, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic
beverages, soft drinks, fruit juice, hotbeverages, etc.
2. Soft drinks are enormously popular beverages consisting
primarily of carbonated water, sugar, andflavorings. Nearly 200
nations enjoy the sweet, sparkling soda with an annual consumption
ofmore than 34 billion gallons. The roots of soft drinks extend to
ancient times from the twothousand years old Greeks and Romans to
the Europeans and Americans of the 18th century. Thefirst imitation
mineral water was patented in 1809 and was called "soda water and
consisted ofwater and sodium bicarbonate mixed with acid to add
effervescence.Raw Materials:Carbonated water constitutes up to 94%
of a soft drink. Carbon dioxide adds that special sparkleand bite
to the beverage and also acts as a mild preservative. Carbon
dioxide is an uniquelysuitable gas for soft drinks because it is
inert, non-toxic, and relatively inexpensive and easy
toliquefy.Sugar is the second main ingredient, which makes up 7-12%
of a soft drink. Used in either dry orliquid form, sugar adds
sweetness and body to the beverage, enhancing the "mouth-feel,"
animportant component for consumer enjoyment of a soft drink. Sugar
also balances flavors andacids.The overall flavor of a soft drink
depends on an intricate balance of sweetness, tartness, andacidity
(pH). Acids add sharpness to the background taste and enhance the
thirst-quenchingexperience by stimulating saliva flow. The most
common acid in soft drinks is citric acid, which hasa lemony
flavor. Acids also reduce pH levels, mildly preserving the
beverage. 3. Very small quantities of additives enhance taste,
mouth-feel, aroma, and appearance of thebeverage. Flavorings may be
natural, natural identical (chemically synthesized imitations),
orartificial (chemically unrelated to natural flavors). Emulsions
are added to soft drinks primarily toenhance "eye appeal" by
serving as clouding agents.Impurities in the water are removed
through a process of coagulation, filtration, and
chlorination.Coagulation involves mixing floc into the water to
absorb suspended particles. The water is thenpoured through a sand
filter to remove fine particles of Roc. To sterilize the water,
small amounts ofchlorine are added to the water and filtered out.
4. Clarifying the waterFiltering, Sterilizing and
DechlorinatingMixing the ingredientsCarbonating the
beverageFilling, bottling and packaging 5. Clarifying the water:
The quality of water is crucial to the success of a soft
drink.Impurities, such as suspended particles, organic matter, and
bacteria, may degrade tasteand color. They are generally removed
through the traditional process of a series ofcoagulation,
filtration, and chlorination. Coagulation involves mixing a
gelatinousprecipitate, or floc (ferric sulphate or aluminum
sulphate), into the water. The flocabsorbs suspended particles,
making them larger and more easily trapped by filters.During the
clarification process, alkalinity must be adjusted with an addition
of lime toreach the desired pH level.Filtering, sterilizing, and
dechlorinating the water: The clarified water is poured througha
sand filter to remove fine particles of floc. The water passes
through a layer of sand andcourser beds of gravel to capture the
particles.Sterilization is necessary to destroy bacteria and
organic compounds that might spoil thewaters taste or color. The
water is pumped into a storage tank and is dosed with a smallamount
of free chlorine. The chlorinated water remains in the storage tank
for about twohours until the reaction is complete.Next, an
activated carbon filter dechlorinates the water and removes
residual organicmatter, much like the sand filter. A vacuum pump
de-aerates the water before it passesinto a dosing station. 6.
Mixing the ingredients: The dissolved sugar and flavor concentrates
are pumped into thedosing station in a predetermined sequence
according to their compatibility. Theingredients are conveyed into
batch tanks where they are carefully mixed; too muchagitation can
cause unwanted aeration. The syrup may be sterilized while in
thetanks, using ultraviolet radiation or flash pasteurization,
which involves quickly heating andcooling the mixture. Fruit based
syrups generally must be pasteurized.The water and syrup are
carefully combined by sophisticated machines, calledproportioners,
which regulate the flow rates and ratios of the liquids. The
vessels arepressurized with carbon dioxide to prevent aeration of
the mixture. 7. Carbonating the beverage: The temperature of the
liquid must be carefully controlledsince carbon dioxide solubility
increases as the liquid temperature decreases. Manycarbonators are
equipped with their own cooling systems. Fruit drinks require far
lesscarbonation than mixer drinks, such as tonics, which are meant
to be diluted withother liquids. The beverage is slightly
over-pressured with carbon dioxide to facilitatethe movement into
storage tanks and ultimately to the filler machine.Filling and
packaging: The finished product is transferred into bottles or cans
atextremely high flow rates. The containers are immediately sealed
with pressure-resistant closures, either tinplate or steel crowns
with corrugated edges, twist offs, orpull tabs.Because soft drinks
are generally cooled during the manufacturing process, they mustbe
brought to room temperature before labeling to prevent condensation
from ruiningthe labels. This is usually achieved by spraying the
containers with warm water anddrying them. Labels are then affixed
to bottles to provide information about thebrand, ingredients,
shelf life, and safe use of the product. Most labels are madeof
paper though some are made of a plastic film. Cans are generally
pre-printed withproduct information before the filling
stage.Finally, containers are packed into cartons or trays which
are then shipped in largerpallets or crates to distributors. 8.
Soft drink manufacturers adhere to strict water quality standards
for allowable dissolvedsolids, alkalinity, chlorides, sulfates,
iron, and aluminum. Not only is it in the interest ofpublic health,
but clean water also facilitates the production process and
maintainsconsistency in flavor, color, and body. Microbiological
and other testing occur regularly.If soft drinks are produced with
low-quality sugar, particles in the beverage will spoilit, creating
floc. To prevent such spoilage, sugar must be carefully handled
indry, sanitized environments.It is crucial for soft drink
manufacturers to inspect raw materials before they are mixedwith
other ingredients, because preservatives may not kill all bacteria.
Alltanks, pumps, and containers are thoroughly sterilized and
continuously monitored.Cans, made of aluminum alloy or tin-coated
low-carbon steel, are lacquered internallyto seal the metal and
prevent corrosion from contact with the beverage. Soft
drinkmanufacturers also recommend specific storage conditions to
retailers to insure that thebeverages do not spoil. The shelf life
of soft drinks is generally at least one year.
