Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most used gases in Food & Beverage, it is an inert gas with various properties that make its use effective, from the management of raw materials to distribution in points of sale, passing through various industrial processes.
This focus is on the use of CO2 in the production of water and other carbonated beverages. We will answer the question: what is the usefulness of carbon dioxide in beverages?
What the gas in carbonated soft drinks is used for and why it is used
For these products, CO2 is a key component; without carbon dioxide, the fizzy character that gives taste to drinks could not be given. The most obvious case is carbonated water, but it also has additional uses, such as for cola or beer.
CO2 in these applications is not just a food additive but a real ingredient, so gas safety and quality are key requirements to be met.
Let’s look at the main processes involved in the use of carbon dioxide in the beverage industry.
The process of carbonation of water and carbonated beverages
The process that causes water and other soft drinks to become fizzy is called carbonation.
Essentially, this is a process of adding food-grade carbon dioxide (E290) inside the beverage container before it is finally sealed: the result of this process are carbonated beverages with carbon dioxide.
Gases for preserving and bottling beverages
But this is not the only use of gases in this industry.
Removing oxygen, at the bottling stage, is a useful process to improve the organoleptic qualities of products and preserve their shelf life. Other food gases such as nitrogen or, alternatively, argon can be used to do this.
How to produce carbon dioxide for carbonated beverages
Each gas has its own production process. In particular, carbon dioxide can be produced through the process of steam reforming, described in more detail here.
But the special feature of the SIAD Group is the production of carbon dioxide through the recovery and storage of CO2 residues from industrial processes, particularly that of biogas upgrading, which makes it possible to combine economic benefit with the improvement of environmental impact by reducing releases into the atmosphere.
SIAD Group, food CO2 and beverage carbonation systems
The SIAD Group meets the most stringent regulations in the supply and distribution of CO2, achieving the highest standards, including ISBT, the International Society of Beverage Technologist, and other standards used by major multinational companies in the industry.
Learn about the SIAD and Acqua Cedea case study
In the sphere of carbonation, SIAD has developed two lines that employ very high purity food-grade CO2 that conforms to the most stringent standards; these beverage carbonation systems (or more simply carbonated beverage plant) are:
- Happy Drink, dedicated to the HoReCa sector
- and ISpring, designed for home carbonation of water and beverages
Happy drinks for the HORECA sector
HappyDrink is SIAD‘s innovative service forproviding liquid food-grade carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) for carbonating water and beverages. The flexibility of this line means that it can appeal to various sectors.
In particular, it meets the needs of:
- Mass catering market (fast food, restaurants, pizzerias, pubs,
- breweries, discos, hotels, hostels, collective canteens, caterers, cinemas,
- theaters and playgrounds)
- Water kiosks and stations
- Brewers and microbreweries
The system developed by SIAD enables a constant and uninterrupted supply of gas, guaranteed from a container that replaces traditional cylinders: these are low-pressure, stainless-steel minibulks of extremely compact size.
The minibulk is designed to be supplied with CO2 of cryogenic purity, with no longer the need for periodic replacement as is the case with standard, high-pressure cylinders. In addition to a high degree of purity of the supplied product, it ensures high safety standards.
This new system provides numerous other benefits such as:
- Maximum security
- Never return non-carbonated soft drinks again
- Optimization of each gram of carbon dioxide
- Refuelling without disturbing the business of the venue
- No handling of cylinders
- Possibility of planned replenishment
- Efficient and cost-effective
- Compact size and great autonomy
- Total Reliability
- Environmental Sustainability
In addition to this gas supply, SIAD also offers atmospheric and laboratory analysis services, remote monitoring and teleriordination of food gases.
ISpring for home gassing
iSpring is SIAD’s line for domestic carbonation of natural water. It provides for the marketing of high-quality E290 carbon dioxide canisters capable of ensuring maximum food hygiene safety.
The solution developed by SIAD is manageable and green: the bottle can be refilled an infinite number of times, thus helping to reduce the plastic waste that would normally be produced by using bottles. Compared with other brands, each cartridge also contains 6% more CO2 for longer life.
Finally, thanks to the activation of a local network and the cooperation of newsstands, the supply of filled canisters in exchange for exhausted ones can take place locally, also cutting down on transportation-related atmospheric emissions.
By employing the space-saving and easily connected iSpring carbon dioxide cylinders, no external connections need to be set up.
Also, in the field of refrigeration, SIAD has developed Homepub Dual Concept, a device that can be attached to the door of the combination refrigerator to dispense fresh beer or larger by tapping it directly from the appliance.
Bottle inerting with CO2, argon and nitrogen
To safely store perishable or chemically oxidizable liquids longer, it is necessary in the food industry to replace any oxygen in the bottle with an inert atmosphere.
The gases used for this purpose are carbon dioxide, nitrogen or argon: the latter for natural beverages (water and wine…) are added to the liquid to inert the headspace of the bottle.
For carbonated drinks, the same function is performed by CO2: carbon dioxide, in addition to adding bubbles, eliminates oxygen. In the case of Pet and Pla bottling, inerting gives the plastic bottle greater structural strength, facilitating storage and transportation.
Vito: PET and PLA bottle, blowing
In addition, SIAD Macchine Impianti, a SIAD Group company specializing in engineering, has a division completely dedicated to the Food&Beverage sector for the production of plastic bottle blow molding machines used for bottling water and other carbonated beverages.
