Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an inert, odorless, colorless and nonflammable gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere in limited concentrations.
It is an element necessary for the life cycle of plants, which, through the process of photosynthesis, absorb it from the atmosphere and release oxygen.
In this article, we focus on the use of carbon dioxide in the beverage industry, analyzing its benefits and particular cases of application.
The beverage industry is very wide and varied: it can be divided into numerous subsets determined by each product’s particular production processes. In many of these, carbon dioxide (CO2) is not just a food additive (E290), but a real ingredient that can strongly affect the quality of the end product.
Therefore, the quality of CO2 itself and its safety are also prerequisites.
In the beverage industry, CO2 is a key component. It has several uses, primarily for carbonated water, but also several applications in the production processes of other, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages Here are the main ones.
The main application of CO2 in beverage is definitely carbonation, the technical name used to describe the carbonation of water, beer and other beverages
For example, how is carbonated water made? This process finds its origins as far back as the 1700s, thanks to the study of the British scientist William Brownrigg and the practical application of the English chemist Joseph Priestley.
Currently, the most popular method takes the form of direct injection into the containers containing the beverage of food-grade carbon dioxide (or carbon dioxide) marketed as E290. CO2 is particularly suitable over other food gases because of its extraordinary solubility.
Read the SIAD and Acqua Cedea case study
In particular, for beverage carbonation in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, our Group has developed an ad hoc solution. It is HappyDrink, the innovative service of supplying high-purity food-grade carbon dioxide for carbonating water and beverages. It is designed for fast food outlets, restaurants, pizzerias, pubs, breweries, nightclubs, hotels, hostels, collective canteens, caterers, cinemas, theaters and playgrounds, as well as to microbreweries and water stations.
HappyDrink enables constant, uninterrupted dispensing of carbonated beverages through the use of a special type of stainless steel vessel, the minibulk, which is extremely compact in size and performs significantly more efficiently than traditional canisters.
Also for home carbonation, SIAD has developed an efficient and dedicated system to enable home carbonation of water with top quality and safety: namely iSpring.
With this system we provide canisters/cartridges of 450g or 1kg capacity containing E290 food-grade carbon dioxide and refillable. It is a less environmentally impactful solution as it helps to reduce the plastic waste that would normally be generated by using bottles. Compared with other brands, each cartridge also contains 6% more CO2 for longer life.
Gases such as Nitrogen and Argon are key components, to inert the bottles. To store perishable or chemically oxidizable liquids longer and safer, in the beverage industry they are used for non-carbonated products to inert the bottle headspace.
For carbonated beverages, the same function is performed by the CO2 already used for carbonation: in addition to creating bubbles, it removes oxygen. In the case of Pet and Pla bottling, moreover, inerting gives plastic bottle greater structural strength, facilitating storage and transportation.
In light of these applications, basically the main benefits of CO2 in the beverage industry are:
How food-grade carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced? We have described the CO2 production process on the page devoted to the use of this gas in the food industry.
Beyond the more typical industrial process, here we would like to highlight the innovative solution proposed by SIAD for CO2 production with a green emphasis. Technological innovation and widespread collaboration among our Group’s companies have enabled the creation of a virtuous circular economy process through which to produce high-purity biogenic CO2 from biogas recovery.
In conclusion, the Biogas Upgrading process allows CO2 to be recovered by collecting it from the fermentation of biological processes, captured before direct release into the atmosphere, thus without burdening the ecosystem.
But not only that, just on the subject of the beverage industry, another case of CO2 production that reduces the environmental impact of an industrial process is CO2 recovery from must fermentation in beer production by distillation technology (stripper + reboiler).
With the Early Recovery system, liquid CO2 is collected, purified (as needed) and stored, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere, with the ability to reuse it in other stages of production.
CO2 used for carbonating and in the food & beverage industry in general must meet precise quality standards defined by European and international regulations and achieve a high degree of purity.
Here is a summary of the regulatory complex.
Our Group has supplemented what is required by mandatory regulations, certification or industry standards by conducting a series of periodic analyses that assess the Microbiological quality of CO2 E290 through analytical methodology.
But we are not “limited” to the production and supply of CO2 food for beverage clean, quality and in total safety, we work alongside our partners on a dedicated path geared to process performance and product goodness, studying the best solution for the specific industry and supporting them with the realization and installation of dedicated systems and technical, strategic and analytical consulting activities.
About us
SIAD Group, a century of history in gas production
Among Italy’s leading chemical groups, SIAD is a leader in the production and commercialization of the full range of industrial, specialty, and medicinal gases and related services. The business extends to sectors in synergy with that of gases, including Wine, Food and Beverage.
