Beverage

  Most soft drinks, beer, bottled water and other common beverages, are comprised of more than 90% water. The quality of water is therefore crucial for a good tasting beverage. Beverage manufacturers adhere to strict water quality standards to meet health regulations and to produce safe, standardized water that maintains consistency in flavor, color and body. Impurities, such as suspended particles, certain dissolved solids (or ions), metals, organic matter and bacteria may result in taste and color defects. Membrane filtration technologies including ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) are commonly used to remove such impurities and produce the desired water quality ideal for beverages.

Fruit juices are popular beverages due to their nutritional and antioxidant properties. Apple juice in particular, is a healthy choice because it contains vitamin C and healthy polyphenol antioxidants that are essential for overall health.

Apple juice is processed and sold in many forms. Fresh apple juice or sweet cider is made from ripe fruit that has been pressed and bottled or packaged without preservatives directly into a bottle, called “direct juice”. This fresh apple juice or sweet cider is typically opaque or cloudy because it has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles such as pulp. Clarified apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and appears more transparent.

Winemakers and brewers are careful not to produce wine or beer with too much alcohol as this may pose a variety of challenges. With too much alcohol, the wine or beer may taste “hot” and may not sell at full value or result in additional taxes. Also, if the alcohol by volume (ABV) in the bottle differs from that stated on the label, compliance issues may result.