Industrial Food Product Processing: Beverage Products

Introduction to Beverage Processing

• Beverages are defined as any fluid consumed by drinking, derived from the Latin word "bibere" meaning "to drink".
• There are various types of beverages, including non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.

Classification of Beverages

• Non-alcoholic beverages:
  • Soft drinks (e.g. fruit juice, fruit syrup, flavored drink)
  • Natural mineral water
  • Packaged drinking water
• Alcoholic beverages:
  • Beer, lager, ale, or stout
  • Wine (e.g. wine cocktail, vermouth, wine aperitif, aerated wine, dry wine, sweet wine)
  • Fruit wine (e.g. apple wine, cider, pear wine, perry)
  • Vegetable wine
  • Honey wine or mead
  • Rice wine
  • Toddy
  • Spirit (e.g. brandy, fruit brandy, rum, whisky, vodka, gin, samsu)
  • Liqueur
  • Shandy

Soft Drinks

• Defined as a beverage intended for human consumption, either with or without dilution.
• Includes syrup, fruit syrup, fruit cordial, fruit squash, fruit juice drink, fruit drink, flavored drink, and soft drink base or soft drink premix.
• Must not contain added alcohol.
• Various regulations and standards for soft drinks, including labeling requirements.

Alcoholic Beverages

• Wine:
  • Must contain at least 7% and not more than 15% v/v of alcohol.
  • Includes wine cocktail, vermouth, wine aperitif, aerated wine, dry wine, sweet wine, and fruit wine.
• Beer, lager, ale, or stout:
  • Must contain at least 2% v/v of alcohol.
  • May contain unmalted cereal or cereal meal, sugar, yeast nutrient, or carbon dioxide.
• Spirit:
  • Must contain at least 32.5% v/v of alcohol.
  • Includes brandy, fruit brandy, rum, whisky, vodka, gin, and samsu.
• Liqueur:
  • Prepared by mixing or distilling spirit with fruits, flowers, leaves, or other harmless vegetable substances.
  • May contain added sugar, dextrose, or glucose.
• Shandy:
  • Prepared from beer and lemonade.
  • Must contain not more than 2% v/v of alcohol and may contain carbon dioxide.