Wastewater treatment solutions in the food and beverage industry

Posted by Dardy Lacy on February 14th, 2023

Food and beverage wastewater treatment are essential because the application of water in the beverage and food industry is multipurpose and huge. Apart from being a useful ingredient in products, water is a hygienic, convenient, and cheap resource for doing cleanups and other needs in the production process. There is a wide variation in the wastewater generated from the food and beverage industry due to variations in the products and raw materials that are used.

Features of effluents from the beverage and food industry

The food and beverage manufacturing wastewater contains comprises of concentrations of different organic compounds such as starches, carbohydrates, vitamins, proteins, sugars, pectins, etc. which are accountable for COD or high oxygen demand and suspended solids. Wastewater in the food industry results from a series of processes such as slicing, cutting, cleaning, frying, coating, salting and packaging.

Wastewater treatment processes

There are a number of technologies involved in treating wastewater used in the beverage and food industries. From the removal of the FOGs from the water to treating high levels of CODs and BODs, there are some stages of water treatment that help in safe and eco-friendly discharge.

Clarification

This is a method of treating wastewater that helps remove suspended solids from wastewater and particulate matter with the help of coagulants and flocculants, which encourages setting. 

Filtration

This method is used for the mechanical, physical and biological separation of solids from the treated water. 

Biological treatment

A water company may also use this method to treat wastewater. This helps upgrade the quality of beverage and food industry effluent. It decomposes these organics.

Disinfection

There are various disinfection methods that can be used to treat wastewater. Disinfection with UV and treatment chemicals destroys disease-causing organisms to prevent their spread. Various processes such as ultraviolet irradiation and ozonation also help in getting rid of biological contaminants that remain in the water after water treatment.

Softening

This is an important step that helps to remove magnesium, calcium and other metal cations from the treated water using ion exchange resins.

With the right treatment methods, wastewater treatment for the beverage and food industry is effortless and convenient. When choosing the right company to offer water treatment services, it is recommended to choose a reputable company with experience in the exact task you want them to do. Choose a company that has served a lot of industries and provided specific services of water treatment. You should also work with a professional to choose equipment that works for you. Different companies have unique needs and you don’t want to invest a lot of money in pieces of equipment that you don’t need.

A good company that provides food and beverage wastewater treatment should be there for you when you need their services. They should clarify your questions and help you understand the process. If your employees are new to any new equipment installed, a good water solutions company should offer the necessary training for your employees to ensure you get high-quality services and adhere to the regulations.