Leveraging High Performance CIP Processes to Reduce Water Usage in the Beverage Industry

The beverage industry around the world has been water-intensive, traditionally involving significant water usage, resulting in conflict over the viability of water sourcing vis-à-vis the respective surrounding ecosystems. Much of the usage has been related to the cleaning and sanitizing of manufacturing lines. With the advent of “clean-in-place” systems (CIP), it is possible to clean these lines in one minute in an environmentally friendly manner. This article discusses the use of advanced CIP to improve the beverage production process through reduction of water consumption, and how continuous improvement will assist in solving a critical problem in food manufacture. The legal ramifications of treatment of water with a concentrated food cleaner will be discussed, as well as an investigation of attaining and exceeding established regulatory standards.