Before any bottled water reaches the fridges of our local stores, manufacturers will need to secure a water source that can be purified and bottled. There are various different water sources used across the beverage industry, such as groundwater, springs, rivers, wells, municipal tap water and many other kinds. This water needs to meet certain purity levels and taste expectations; so, it goes through a rigorous purification process.

Water bottling facilities will use water filtration systems to remove any unwanted contaminants, compounds and particles. These processes range from reverse osmosis and to deionization and UV treatments – or, even, desalination processes for seawater are used. Water purification companies and beverage companies will use one or more of these filtration techniques that will depend on the composition of the source water and consumer demand.

Beverage companies will need to be thoughtful when choosing what water sources are best to supply their needs. The choice of water source can impact the profitability, quality and sustainability of any beverage production and, in particular, bottled waters need to reach consumer standards that make it competitive in such a tough market. Beverage companies should be careful who they partner with, where they get their water from and the type of filtration required.

A purer water source that requires less filtration, has a reliable supply and tastes good to begin with will always improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of the final product. With that in mind, let us take a look at the what makes bottled water so different from regular tap water:

Purification Processes and Filtration Methods

Whatever purification processes are used and whichever water source your company selects, your products (and source ingredients) are going to be under serious scrutiny from regulatory agencies and consumers. If your bottled water has a strange or unpleasant taste, it will not do well in a very competitive market. Reverse osmosis, microfiltration, UV treatments, oxidation and activated carbon are all popular techniques, but different processes will work in different contexts.

Filtration methods help purify water sources and remove various organic and inorganic compounds from the water. This helps improve the flavour, ensure consumer safety and pass all regulatory product requirements, while procuring water from different sources. Each process provides unique benefits to the water being purified and bottled. It will depend on what a beverage company needs from their water purification partner and customers.

Membrane filtration systems, for example, are particularly effective at removing metals and deionising water sources. On the other hand, activated carbon removes most chlorine and chlorine by-product remnants from municipal water sources very capably. Even further, reverse osmosis in combination with remineralisation or with the addition of flavourants is celebrated for creating wonderfully flavoured bottled waters.  Ozonation helps remove any odours and colour from the water while also disinfecting the product without leaving a residual in the final product. . It all depends on what is needed to turn your water supply into clean and delicious drinking water.

There are two types of bottled water that are most popular: spring water and purified water. It might seem like a pure and natural spring water would be the preferred drink over purified water. However, the truth is that purified bottled water is more popular with and reliable for consumers. The regulatory and consumer protection requirements ensure that purified waters are more consistent in terms of availability, taste and quality.

What Makes Bottled Water So Different from Tap Water?

Although tap water will face much of the same scrutiny and regulation as bottled water, the fact is that tap water will seldom secure a taste preference over purified waters. In South Africa, we boast some of cleanest, safest and most dependable municipal water sources on the planet. Even with this impressive attribute, bottled water is still considered tastier and more consistent.

Different regulatory agencies will have similar standards for anything that we consume; namely, that municipal water suppliers, water purifiers and beverage companies need to guarantee that the water they provide is safe for humans and the planet. It is important to remember that bottled water has higher expectations from consumers because we do not want to pay an increased cost for water that does not taste better than our taps at home.

The quality of the water being used, bottled or sold by beverage companies needs to be of the highest standards possible. It undergoes more thorough testing and its standards for organic or inorganic compounds, such as bacteria and disinfection products, are far more demanding. Bottled water has a more reliable taste and flavour than tap water, as well as popular water brands being widely available across South African municipalities.

Conclusion

Whatever your company’s water purification needs are, Vicol offers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for all industries across South Africa, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation, maintenance and delivery. Our services are conducted by experts in the field and always prioritise customer service delivery, affordability and reliability.

For more information about our outstanding water purification solutions and how we can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

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There are very few industries that can compete with the food and beverage industry’s demand for water purification services. Producing consumable goods is a non-negotiable part of South Africa’s economy, but still faces standards and regulations that make producing foods and beverages very heavily controlled. This means that food and beverage companies should hold the most exacting standards from their water purification service providers.

A water purification process that meets these requirements and is suited to the specifications of a particular company helps food and beverage businesses produce products with the consistency their consumers expect. Whether you are producing goods that include water as a key ingredient or selling bottled water for mass consumption, the level of water purity will be a determining quality and success of those goods.

Cleaning, wastewater treatment, decontamination, cooling and heating, cooking and onsite water usage are just some of the additional ways that food and beverage companies are using water purification processes. Whatever the requirements, the services provided for these businesses need to be consistent and dependable to keep up with the regulatory standards of the industry. Let us look at how water purification solutions are utilised by food and beverage companies:

Water Purification for Food Production

Water, as you can imagine, is a very common ingredient that is used in the cooking, manufacturing and production of an endless variety of food products. Whether as a direct ingredient or as part of the cooking process, water is critical to the making of most foods we eat. As such, the treated water used for producing foods for market will need to be of a very high quality, taste and consistency.

Meeting government requirements, industry regulations and consumer expectations mean that owners and managers know exactly what they need from their water purification partners. This extends beyond regulatory requirements; food companies will expect their purified water to taste good and be appropriately softened. Pure water as an ingredient is not all they need specific water types to operate, they also require water for cleaning, machinery and personnel use.

Water Purification for Beverages and Bottling 

Bottled water and most beverages will require processed water as an ingredient or as the product, itself. Most beverages will use tap water from their local municipality to start their production. After this, they will treat that tap water through one of several processes. These purification methods improve the water being used by removing any hardness, heavy metals, microorganisms or unwanted minerals that could alter the taste a critical ingredient.

Whether the purified water, in question, is intended for bottling and direct consumption or if that water is being used to produce other beverages, the composition and taste of the water will be critical to the final product. Companies will add their own secret combinations of minerals, carbonation, sugars, syrups, flavourings and food colouring to make all of the many beverages we know and love.

Bottled (Purified) Water Compared to Tap Water

If bottled waters and tap waters usually come from the same source, the question remains: why does bottled water end up tasting so much better than tap water? It comes down to the purification processes used and the mineral composition of the water. Water purification solutions will use one or several water purifications, sterilisation, softening, or filtration methods to change tap water composition to make it tastier, safer and purer.

Common Purification Processes Used in the Food and Beverage Industry

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to water purification services for the food and beverage industry. Each company and each product will have its own requirements that give products their unique flavour and essence – and this includes the water treatment. There are three main water treatment processes that are used in the food and beverage industry, these are: membrane systems, media filtration and distillation processes.

Membrane Systems – these systems include processes, such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis and are known for their purity, taste and reliability for producers of consumable products.

Media Filtration: these treatments include processes, such as sand and multimedia, activated carbon and oxidation processes and are used in many commercial and industrial operations.

Make sure to sample all types of water used and to ensure the treatment processes used for your business will help manufacture the best final product possible. Knowing what purification processes will work best, in your part of the food and beverage industry, could be the difference between you and your nearest competitors.

Whatever your company’s water purification needs are, Vicol offers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for all industries across South Africa, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation, maintenance and delivery. Our services are conducted by experts in the field and always prioritise customer service delivery, affordability and reliability.

For more information about our outstanding water purification solutions and how we can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

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Food and beverage companies require reliable and sustainable water treatment systems – or access to trustworthy water purification partners – to ensure their products meet regulatory standards. Industrial water treatment solutions are tailored to the specific requirements of all food and beverage businesses. This can be in the form of direct purchase of different water types or the integration of a water purification system into the production processes of that manufacturer.

Let us dive a little deeper into water purification for the food and beverage industry and how companies benefit from finding the right water treatment partner:

What Type of Water Purification Methods Are Prevalent in the Food and Beverage Industry?

From machine cleaning and bottled drinking water to the incorporation of water into food and beverages, there are a multitude of critical applications for purified water for companies producing edible or drinkable goods. Some of the most common water purifications methods used are: filtration, reverse osmosis, UV treatment and deionisation.

Filtration
The most common and fundamental water treatment process is filtration. Filtration often functions as a preliminary step to remove particular solids, bacteria or chemicals from the water before reverse osmosis, ultraviolet treatments or deionisation are conducted. Filtration is performed in conjunction with other methods to create potable water or to treat wastewater runoff and remove solid and organic waste to ensure it is safe for the surrounding environment.

Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a very popular and effective water purification method that uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate a variety of unwanted chemicals and bacteria. This membrane prevents contaminants from passing through and turns unpotable water into clean, usable and potable water for the food and beverage industry’s production processes.

Ultraviolet Water Treatment
Ultraviolet (UV) water treatments utilise UV rays to kill pathogens found in water, like bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Many traditional water purification methods would make use of harsh chemical processes, while UV treatments work without any harsh substances. UV treatments are known to improve the flavour and quality of drinking water, as well as reducing the potential for contamination in consumer goods or the wastewater they produce.

How Are These Water Purification Processes Used by Food and Beverage Companies?

Food and beverage companies are heavily dependent on various water purification processes and pure water applications. Produce, drinks, products, factory cleaning and the wastewater they produce will all require some form of water treatment. Purified water is central to the safety and functionality of the food and beverage industry’s operations.

The evolution of water treatment technologies has transformed the food and beverage industry, utilising modern water purification processes for a variety of applications that include:

• Potable or Drinking Water
• Food and Beverage Ingredients, Mixing and Production
• Clean-in-Place (CIP) and Sanitize-in-Place (SIP) Processes
• Wastewater Decontamination and Reduction
• Beverage and Ice Filtration
• Hot Water Treatments
• Process Water Purification
• Production Utility Water
• Dishwashers, Steamers and Other Cleaning Appliances

All of the aforementioned water treatment solutions are critical for the food and beverage industry, as well as for other hospitality, medical, agricultural, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sector applications. These purification methods can be customised to suit a variety of businesses and business types that require water treatment capabilities.

How Water Purification Benefits the Food and Beverage Industry

As we have covered, water quality and purity are crucial to the food and beverage industry – among others – and its various production processes. Industry leaders are becoming more and more aware of the importance of instituting safe, consistent and reliable water purification systems, understanding the benefits that accompany them:

Quality Control
Water treatment systems have been developed by engineers and experts that have created solutions that can be calibrated to remove all types of unwanted organic and inorganic materials. These systems have built-in analytic tools that offer quality control and assurance for all potable, waste and feed water.

Increasing Return on Investment (ROI) and Cost-Effectiveness
By utilising the latest water purification technology, food and beverage companies are able to access high-quality water using more efficient methods that offers a high ROI. Customised high-end water treatment solutions to a particular business mean that they can become more cost-effective, while increasing the production possibilities.

Improve Operational Sustainability and Minimise Wastewater
With the help of integrated water treatment systems, food and beverage companies can reduce their wastewater and improve their operational sustainability. These systems are built to last and can be customised to suit all water purification needs, such as production, cleaning and wastewater runoff. Resource sustainability, wastewater reduction and environmental conscientiousness are just the beginning of the benefits.

Digital Integration and Floor Management
The recent advances in water purification methods have only been bolstered by the incredible technological and digital innovations proliferating all industries. Food and beverage companies are no exception to this; benefitting from “smart systems” that monitor, collect and analyse operational data to help companies refine their production processes and digitise floor management.

Vicol delivers industry-leading custom turnkey water purification solutions for South Africa’s food and beverage industry, including custom designs, manufacturing, system installation and maintenance. Our services are conducted by experts and prioritise customer service delivery, affordability and reliability.

For more information about our outstanding water purification solutions and how we can help support your business, contact Vicol today.

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