Gases for Life - Messer Group

Cover StorySoft drinks Applications of gases in the drinks industryMineral Mineral water water• CO• 2 COensures 2 ensuresbubblybubblyfreshnessfreshnessand aandlonga longshelf-lifeshelf-life(carbonated).Mineral water(carbonated).Mineral water• CO 2• ensures Liquid• Liquidnitrogen bubbly nitrogen freshness stabilisesstabilisesthinwalled• CO 2 ensures bubbly thinwalledshelf-life PET bottlesfreshnessand a long PET (carbonated). bottlesand drinksand a long shelf-life and drinks (carbonated).canscansand makesand makesthemthemstackablestackable• Liquid (non-carbonated).nitrogen(non-carbonated).• stabilises Liquid nitrogen thinwalledPET bottles walled and drinks PET bottles and drinksstabilises thin-cans and makes them cans stackable and makes them stackable(non-carbonated). 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Duringinertisationand CO 2isCOused storage,2is used inertisationand for white for whitegases wines,wines, storage, whilewhile inert gasesprevent nitrogen oxidationnitrogenor and prevent nitrogen-argon protector nitrogen-argon oxidation against and mixes protect mixes againstundesirable changes undesirable in are flavour usedareor changes usedfor colour. redforwines.red flavour wines. or colour.CO 2is used for white COwines, while2is used for white wines, whilenitrogen or nitrogen-argon or mixes nitrogen-argon mixesare used for red wines. are used for red wines.Illustration: Piet Hamann, www.piethamann.deNitrogenNitrogenCarbonCarbondioxidedioxideNitrogen Carbon Nitrogen CarbonJuiceBeerJuicedioxideBeerdioxide• Nitrogen• Nitrogenprotects• Duringprotects• Duringinertisation,inertisation,flushingflushingagainstagainstunwantedunwantedoxidationof tanks,oxidationof tanks,transfertransferpumping,pumping,JuiceBeerand prolongs Juiceand prolongsshelf-life.pressurisingshelf-life.pressurisingor filling,or filling,Beer• Nitrogen • Liquid•protectsLiquidnitrogen • During inertisation,nitrogen provides theCO 2preventsflushing• Nitrogen provides protects theCO 2prevents • During oxidation inertisation, oxidationandand flushingagainst internal unwantedinternalpressure oxidationof tanks, transferpressure required in thin-walledageingpumping,against required unwanted in thin-walledageing ofoxidationof the tanks, ofbeerthe beer transfer afterafter pumping,and prolongs PET bottlesPETshelf-life.bottlesand pressurising or filling,and drinksand prolongs drinkscans.fermentation.shelf-life. cans.fermentation.pressurising or filling,• Liquid nitrogen provides theCO 2prevents oxidation and• Liquid nitrogen provides theCO 2prevents oxidation andinternal pressure required in thin-walledageing of the beer afterinternal pressure required in thin-walledageing of the beer afterPET bottles and drinks cans.fermentation.PET bottles and drinks cans.• Liquid• LiquidnitrogennitrogenstabilisesstabilisesthinwalledSoft thinwalledSoft drinksfermentation.drinksPET bottlesPET bottlesand drinksand drinks• CO• 2 COensures 2 ensureslong-lastinglong-lastingcans.cans.freshness,Soft drinks freshness,a longa longshelf-lifeshelf-life• Liquid • Nitrogen nitrogen• Nitrogenprotects • stabilises Liquid protectsagainst nitrogen thinwalledoxidation PETSoft drinksagainst stabilises thinwalledand prolongsSource: Messer Groupand pressureSource: Messer Groupand pressurestabilitystability oxidationbottles andanddrinksprolongs PET shelf-life bottles shelf-life and drinks• CO 2 ensures (carbonated).(carbonated).long-lasting • CO cans.2 ensures long-lasting (non-carbonated).(non-carbonated). cans.freshness, a long shelf-life freshness, • a Nitrogen long shelf-life protects • Nitrogen against protects againstSource: Messer Groupand pressure stability oxidation and prolongs shelf-lifeSource: Messer Groupand pressure stability oxidation and prolongs shelf-life(carbonated). (carbonated).(non-carbonated).(non-carbonated).Naturally sourced carbon dioxide isobtained from mineral water springs thathave excess CO 2 . However, most carbondioxide is obtained as a by-product ofindustrial processes such as ammoniasynthesis. After thorough cleaning ithas food-grade quality, which has to bechecked on a regular basis. Carbonatedbeverages not only taste nice, they alsostay fresh for a long time as CO 2 inhibitsthe growth of microorganisms. This isachieved, firstly, by displacement ofthe air, and thus the oxygen, from thecontainer, and secondly, by means of achange in the pH value, since a smallproportion of the CO 2 combines with thewater to form carbonic acid. Althoughthis acid is very weak, microbes don’tlike this environment, with the resultthat carbonated drinks stay fresh for along time.Gases also help to keep beverages freshduring storage, transfer and bottling.Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and mixturesof the two – for example the GourmetMesser and ASCO products for the beverage industry• Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) for beveragecarbonation and as pressure retainerduring filling• Nitrogen for protection of beveragesand as additional pressure for mechanicalstabilisation of thin-walled containers• Argon as protection against oxidation inwinemaking• CO 2 in the form of dry ice for cooling• CO 2 revert recovery systems• Atmospheric CO 2 vaporisers• CO 2 cylinder filling systems withautomatic weighing system• CO 2 transfer pumps• CO 2 testing equipment• Detectors for monitoring the CO 2concentration in the ambient airmixtures from Messer – protect themagainst unwanted oxidation throughoutprocessing. The question as to whichgas is used depends on the product andwhether carbonation is required. Thus,for example, nitrogen in the form of finebubbles is used to remove the oxygendissolved in a liquid. In the storage tankand in the sales/merchandise container,inert gas rather than air fills the headspace,preventing oxidation and microbialgrowth here too. If a positive pressureis required for still beverages, then theaddition of a liquid nitrogen drop will helpto mechanically stabilise thin-walled receptaclessuch as PET bottles and makethem stackable.Meanwhile, microorganisms are positivelywelcome in winemaking, for withoutyeast fungi there would be no fermentation.But if the wine is to taste good,fermentation must not begin too soonor take place too quickly. The higher thetemperature the greater the risk. Again,carbon dioxide can help here: in theform of dry ice pellets or dry ice snow, itcools the harvested grapes or the mustwithout diluting them, thereby slowingdown the work of the yeast fungi. In12 Gases for Life 03 | 2011