Fizzy drinks have almost always been popular among a certain sector of the population. They love the way carbonated drinks feel as they roll over the tongue and down the throat. Whether it is beer, energy drinks or juice, consumers all around the world by carbonated drinks. In fact, beverage carbonation is big business for the companies that produce them and the manufacturers of the equipment that makes carbonation possible.
What Is Carbonation?
Carbonated beverage is a term that refers to those drinks that are modified by the addition of a gas. Traditionally, carbon dioxide is utilized. However, today, oxygen and nitrogen are also employed to carbonate certain products. Manufacturers use a beverage carbonation system to create the fizzing, bubbling and even popping sounds in a liquid. Consumers enjoy the tingling sensation carbonated beverages add to a beverage.
The process does occur naturally in some products. Spring water, for example undergoes natural carbonation. The fermentation process off beer also results in natural beverage carbonation. In most cases, however, the producer injects carbon dioxide into the product. It dissolves and remains there under high pressure. The release of the pressure results in the production of small gas bubbles.
Types of Carbonated Drinks
Americans are a large consumer of carbonated beverages. This is particularly true when it comes to drinking soda. However, carbonation is not reserved for soda alone. The dollar sales of this category amounted to 1,079.2 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 2014. Within the segment, carbonated soft drinks were responsible for the lion’s share of global sales. Technically, any kind of beverage can be carbonated. The most common examples of carbonated drinks are:
* Alcohol – certain types
* Beer
* Bottled water
* Soft drinks otherwise known as pop and sodas
* Energy drinks
* Fruit beverages or juices
* Ready-to-drink coffee
* Ready-to-drink tea
* Sports beverages
* Value-added water
These are all carbonated drinks commonly found on retail shelves throughout the world.
Why Employ Beverage Carbonation?
A manufacturer usually carbonates a beverage for one reason. This is preference. While people once thought carbonated beverages were healthier than those that were not – particularly when it came to spring waters. This is no longer the case.
People enjoy what carbonation does to the product. They like the fizzy sensation. They enjoy what it does to their tongue. They like the way it tastes. The overall effervescence is found to be pleasant and adds to the enjoyment of drinking a beverage. This is true whether the drink is a soda pop or a beer.
Achieving the Right Beverage Carbonation Level
While carbonation gives beer that necessary taste sensation, it must conform to requirements. If it is too much, it no longer has its appeal. Whether it is a beer or a pop, there can be too much of a good thing if that thing is carbonation. A company has to get it just right. Failure to do so is not merely a mistake. It can be a costly error that may never be rectified sufficiently in the public’s mind.
When producing carbonated beverages in this highly competitive market, it is important the equipment be appropriate to the task. This requires the choice of only high quality devices. At the same time, they must prove to be cost-effective. To achieve this goal, a company must carefully research what is available. Only when it is certain that the beverage carbonation equipment can fulfill the necessary requirements, should it go beyond looking and make the purchase.
