Food and beverage manufacturers can never underestimate the importance of water quality. Pure, contaminant-free water is critical to the manufacturing process, whether you’re producing chocolate, soup, or wine. In this month’s blog, we discuss the role of water in food and beverage production and what you can do to maintain a safe, high-quality water supply.
Why Worry About Your Water?
Water is critical to food and beverage production for the following reasons:
1. Impact on Taste
Water is a key ingredient in many foods and beverages. In fact, water constitutes over 90% of most beverages. Apart from obvious health and safety concerns, water has a significant impact on the overall quality and taste of your product.
“This is especially true for ‘taste-sensitive’ industries—like distilleries and breweries—which demand a very precise and consistent flavor profile,” explains Steve Guercia, commercial water specialist at Secondwind Water Systems. Just ask Sublime Brewing Company’s Greg Aprilliano of Plymouth, New Hampshire. “You can have a perfect beer recipe, with everything sterile and sanitized, and follow every step, but if your base water is off, you’re dead in the water. It’ll taste awful,” he says.
“You can have a perfect beer recipe, with everything sterile and sanitized, and follow every step, but if your base water is off, you’re dead in the water. It’ll taste awful,” says Secondwind Customer Greg Aprilliano, Co-owner & Brewer at Sublime Brewing in Plymouth, NH.
2. Product Integrity
When it comes to product integrity, consistency is key. Whether your water is sourced from a well or municipal water supply—it must be clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Changes in water quality create variations in the food or beverages you produce, reducing your overall product quality and hurting your brand. “All (we) need is one bad batch of beer and our customers will never come back,” Aprilliano notes.
3. Damage to Equipment & Production Delays
Even if water isn’t a critical ingredient in the production of your food or beverage, you likely rely on it for cleaning and sanitation, or use it to generate steam or power. Over time, any equipment that comes into contact with poor quality water can be damaged or destroyed due to corrosion or sediment build-up. This results in production delays or shut downs, and can cost thousands of dollars in ongoing maintenance, repairs, or replacement.
Commercial Water Treatment in NH
If you’re a food or beverage manufacturer and are experiencing product quality problems, or are having issues with your equipment or your production process, your water could be the culprit. Contact the certified water treatment professionals at Secondwind Water Systems for a free site analysis. We work with hundreds of businesses just like yours everyday.
