Soft drinks include all drinks which are made from water or mineral water, sugar, aromas

and essences and usually containing carbon dioxide. Other emerging beverage products
have quite a similar manufacturing process: flavored water, ice tea, sport and energy
drinks.

The soft drink industry is willing to offer a beverage with enhanced shelf life and
decreased chemical preservative. However, due to the pH, high sugar level, low
preservative content and production processes, these drinks are very susceptible to
yeast and mold development.

Microbial management is therefore of high importance to prevent contamination and to

monitor its presence.

Production processes differ by the type of soft drink and applications. We provide you
here below with a general process that you can adapt to your specific requirements.
»Learn more about soft drink processing
Device Recommendation Guide

Drawing Process Steps Products

Reference

Sugar Syrup Filtration

A Clarification: remove crystals and particles Polygard-CR

1.00 µm
Polygard-CR
3.00 µm
 B Prefiltration: protection of final filter for better Clarigard 0.5
economics µm

C Final filtration/Sterilization: remove microorganisms Vitipore 0.45

µm

Water Filtration

D Prefiltration: carbon and particle trap, protection of final Polygard-CE

filter for better economics

E Final Filtration/Sterilization: remove particles, mold, Vitipore 0.3

algae, and protozoa µm
Vitipore 0.45
µm

Carbonation: CO2 sterile filtration Aerex 2 0.2

µm

F Air Venting Aervent 0.2

µm
Aerex 2 0.2
µm

Filling

Rinse Water Prefiltration: protection of final filter for Clarigard 0.5

better economics µm

Rinse Water Final Filtration: water sterile filtration for Vitipore 0.45
bottle rinsing µm

G Gas Filtration Aervent 0.2

µm
Aerex 2 0.2
µm

Bottle Blower: gas sterile filtration Aervent 0.2

µm
Aerex 2 0.2
µm

Facilities Details
Drawing Process Monitoring Steps Products
Reference

Microbial Enumeration Milliflex Quantum,

EZ-Pak, Milliflex,Microfil, 5
5-Plus Monitor, Milliflex
Rapid

Rinse Water MicropreSure

Microbial Testing of Surfaces Swabs and Samplers

Air Monitoring M Air T

About Soft Drink Processing

Sugar Syrup Clarification

The mixture of sugar, flavorings, essences and water is called syrup. Syrup clarification
will retain particles and crystals from your syrup.

Water Microbial Stabilization

Water accounts for the largest proportion in your beverage and needs to be safe. The
prefiltration has a double role of protecting the final filter, ensuring the long life and good
economics of your filter train, as well as reducing the initial bioburden. Final filtration
removes microorganisms like bacteria, mold, yeast and protozoa to achieve the required
water quality.

Carbonation

Carbonation is the step of adding carbon dioxide to a drink. Non carbonated drinks will
miss the carbonization step.

The CO2 you inject in your beverage must be free of particles and microorganisms.
Bottle blower and bottle washer

The air used in the bottle blower to turn the pre-forms into the final PET bottle has to be
free of contaminants; its filtration ensures a bottle with low bioburden is produced. Bottle
blowing is done in any process using PET bottles.
The water used to rinse these bottles has to be free of contaminants; its filtration
ensures good quality of the bottle prior filling.
A safe and reliable container is essential to maintain the quality of your drink, and thus
its shelf life.

Bottle filler

Gas filtration can also be used during the filling process of carbonated drinks. In order to
make the filling possible the filler bowl has to be pressurised and it is essential that the
gas used here is microbiologically stable.