The Importance of Water Treatment in the Food and Beverage Industry

Posted on February 26, 2020

The food and beverage industries are always faced with problems concerning water supply and water quality. Either during certain seasons, due to droughts, the water supply becomes unstable, or torrent rain and heavy flooding can cause issues with the overall quality of the water supply. Alternatively, there might be legal pressures that restrict how much water the company can use in the first place.

Facing all these challenges, it is crucial that the food and beverage companies embrace advanced water treatment and purification techniques, including water filtration systems for the food industry, to meet cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) norms as per the HACCP (Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points), HASSOP (Hygiene standard Sanitation Operating Procedure), EEC (European Environment Committee) & further the health guidelines and remain on top of the competition.

A] Why Water Quality Matters in the Food and Beverage Industry?

Microbiologically contaminated impure water quality can not only affect the quality of the manufactured food and beverages but can degrade the product quality & decrease the shelf life of the product.

Here are some of the reasons why water quality matters in the proper functioning of the food and beverage industries.

Uncontaminated Foods and Drinks

Water quality directly dictates the overall quality of the manufactured foods and drinks, which is, by far, the biggest reason why the industry should adhere to set standards concerning water purity, or they might face legal consequences.

The World Health Organization (WHO)& FDA has put into place strict guidelines which clearly state that properly treated, disinfected water needs to be used for the manufacturing, cleaning, and processing of the food.

Cleaning and Sterilization of Equipment

Apart from ensuring uncontaminated foods and drinks, the industries also need to make sure they adhere to the cGMP guidelines across the board. Using purified treated water inside an unsterilized environment is of no good. As such, properly treated and sterilized water should be used when washing the packaging equipment, transportation vehicles, and even the storage facilities.

Reduce Downtime

As discussed earlier, food and beverage industries face unpredictable water crises, either due to droughts or bad water quality, because of environmental conditions.

This is where it becomes crucial to use recycled water that needs to be properly treated and purified to sustain uninterrupted operations. Not only that, but having access to your own water treatment facility gives you your own water supply and helps manage water costs more effectively.

Read More: Why Restaurants Need Water Purification Systems 

B] How UV helps in the Food and Beverage Industry?

Now that you have an idea, of the importance of purified water in the food and beverage industries, let’s talk about UV treatment that will help you meet those standards.

UV Disinfection

This is by far one of the most advanced and effective water disinfection methods in the market. It can help eliminate all pathogens, bacteria, viruses, algae, mold spores and even protozoa from the water, making it safe for consumption. As such, it is the go-to water purification solution for treating water, including wastewater treatment in the food service industry, which is directly used in the manufacturing of food and beverages.

C] Role of UV in Processing Foods and Beverages

What is UV Disinfection?

UV Disinfection uses UV (UltraViolet Light) rays to disinfect water. It has germicidal properties that can effectively destroy microorganisms by penetrating through the cell-wall and altering its DNA – thereby killing it. The UV Disinfection system has vast applications in Foods and Beverage industries, including beverage industry wastewater treatment.

Here is a quick look at some of the benefits of using UV Disinfection Systems:

1. All micro-organisms are susceptible to UV rays and can be killed by it.
2. It is extremely cost-effective and low maintenance.
3. UV Disinfection procedure doesn’t leave behind any toxic byproducts.
4. No chemicals are involved,so you don’t need to worry about the dosage.
5. Well-designed UV disinfection systems, as developed by Alfaa UV, are extremely easy to manage and come with powerful features to maximize its efficiency.
6. Alfaa UV has an online validation tool with UV intensity monitoring to know the efficiency of the system.

Conclusion

So by now, you should have an idea about the importance of UV system and the influence of UV Disinfection systems in this regard.

As stated, the Alfaa industrial UV water disinfection system gives you access to powerful features like computational fluid dynamics, accurate monitoring of UV light intensity, high-efficiency electronic ballast, and much more.

It can easily help disinfect and treat your water to ensure purified water is used for food and beverage manufacturing is meeting your cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) norms as per the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

Further reading: UV Water Disinfection Systems for Food and Beverage Industry