Soda is a pleasant sizzling drink that quenches thirst at any time of the year. Consists of a mixture of pure water and carbon dioxide. It has been known to mankind for several thousand years, as evidenced by the records of Hippocrates in his treatises on the healing properties of sparkling water. It can be natural from natural sources and created by people using special equipment.
Until the beginning of the 18th century, it was accessible to a small circle of people, but after industrial revolution became widespread throughout the population. Now soda can be found on the shelves of all grocery stores or in vending machines with soft drinks. But, rarely does anyone guess how and where carbonated water is made, and at the first sip, many have a question about how soda is made?
Interesting fact: The first soda was made by Joseph Priestley in 1767. He collected carbon dioxide from a vat of fermented beer and saturated the clean water with it.
What is soda made from?
In vending machines and factories, soda is produced according to the same principle. First, water is prepared, and then it is saturated with carbon dioxide. Water is taken clean from natural sources. If necessary, pass through filters for water purification. It is checked for the presence of foreign chemical additives, bacteria and various impurities. After poured into tanks and stored until the start of production.
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Carbon dioxide is brought in cylinders or emitted at the plant itself using special equipment. Containers and labels for finished products are brought already prepared and placed in the conveyor on special tapes for further filling. Additionally, it can be washed with clean water or a special pattern applied to the surface. Dyes and flavors are selected only natural without additional chemical compounds. To obtain sweet waters, fructose syrup is added to soda.
Soda production
Water is pumped into a special container, in which flavors and dyes are added according to the recipe. If necessary, the concentration of all components is checked and the water is sent to the saturation stage.
Through the water supply, water enters a large cistern, which is called a saturator. It consists of several tanks, pumps and a system automated control. Next, carbon dioxide enters under high pressure. It saturates water, resulting in the formation of carbonic acid H2CO3 - a combination of water molecules and carbon dioxide. The connection is not stable, therefore, when shaking, gas bubbles that are not perceptible to the smell, but very pleasant to the taste, are formed. The proportions of water and carbon dioxide are chosen so precisely that after saturation, the soda is sent to the bottling stage.
Interesting fact: Recently, carbonated water has been used to produce a wide variety of cocktails, added to pastries and low-alcohol drinks. The amazing properties of the drink allow it to be used in all areas of the food industry.
Filling containers
Ready sparkling water through the water supply system enters the dispenser. Bottles move along the conveyor to the filling system and are filled with ready-made soda. Depending on the size of the containers, the machine can fill up to 150 bottles per minute. After filling, a special mechanism hermetically closes the neck with a plastic or metal stopper. In the future, a label is glued to the surface or a trademark drawing is applied.
Today it is possible to organize a business in almost any type of activity. It is not necessary to immediately open a large production. You can start with a small workshop. For example, production drinking water is not a super complicated matter, although it requires patience, care and work.
Advantages and features
It must be said that this business has its advantages:
High payback;
Possibility of expansion;
High demand for quality products.
Naturally, the production of drinking water is not without drawbacks. For example, you will have to raise an impressive amount of start-up capital, since you cannot do without expensive equipment. In addition, you will need to constantly deal with the sanitary and epidemiological service, which controls the quality of the water. However, a properly organized business can bring high income. Naturally, for this you first need to outline a business plan, decide on the sales market and other nuances. It is important to consider the level of competition.
Be sure to decide what type of activity you will be engaged in. That is, you can sell water from your well that needs to be drilled; engage in bottling and supply of foreign water to the markets of the city. At the same time, you must also decide on the method of extracting water. It can be key or extracted from the tap and cleaned with ultra-modern filters.
What documents are needed?
Now consider the question of what, in fact, is needed in order to open the production of drinking water:
1. Certificate of a private entrepreneur.
2. Charter of the company.
3. Conclusions of security authorities (fire service and SES) on the compliance of your equipment with all established standards.
4. Certificate stating that the quality of the water used in production fully meets all state requirements (also issued by the sanitary and epidemiological service).
5. License for entrepreneurial activity. To do this, of course, you will have to collect documents such as a lease agreement for premises and equipment, all your personal data certified by a notary.
In principle, these documents are quite enough to open the production of drinking water. Naturally, you will need a bank account. In addition, it is required to draw up agreements with suppliers of water (if you do not extract it yourself), containers and other consumables.
Features of the choice of premises and staff
Opening the production of drinking water is not very difficult. Much harder to keep him afloat. For work, you will definitely need a room (workshop) that is of sufficient size, all-round access. Naturally, the building must have a supply of all necessary energy sources, telephone line, internet.
It is desirable that the room was renovated and not old. Pay special attention to the quality of electrical wiring. The fact is that the production of bottled water requires the use of a large amount of equipment.
The building will need to be divided into several parts: a site where water will be extracted, a liquid purification room (multi-stage), as well as its spill. In addition, you will need rooms for staff, where employees can change clothes, have lunch, and relax. A warehouse is required for finished products. Naturally, each room must meet sanitary standards.
What equipment is needed for work?
The production of bottled water takes place with the help of complex and rather expensive mechanisms. Their number depends on your financial capabilities and the scale of the business.
So, for work, the following equipment is required for the production of water:
Mechanisms by which the extracted liquid is purified;
Machines for pouring water.
If you want to reduce the cost of production, you can purchase a machine for the manufacture of plastic containers, in which you will package the liquid. However, this is not at all necessary. Can negotiate with suppliers plastic bottles. Moreover, in any case, you have the ability to adjust the amount of packaging.
Today, you can buy a whole automated production line for the drinking water bottling shop, which consists of all the necessary blocks. However, such equipment should be purchased if you see prospects for further business expansion.
What quality should the product have?
Water is an essential element for the body, just like air. Naturally, it must meet the highest quality requirements and international standards. Before organizing the production of drinking bottled water, it should be borne in mind that it must be harmless and safe in chemical composition. In addition, the liquid should not have an increased background radiation or contain harmful bacteria and microorganisms that can cause various kinds of epidemics.
Consider the criteria for water quality in more detail. So, the liquid should not contain dangerous and harmful substances that may appear as a result of its extraction and processing. Also note that not all water sources are safe to drink. That is, a well should be drilled where there are deposits of the maximum clean liquid.
Water must be taken for analysis by the sanitary and epidemiological service. After that, you will receive a response with a detailed description of the substances and compounds contained in the liquid, as well as their quantity. It should be noted that the source should not be contaminated with any mechanical debris. Be sure to make sure that there are no living organisms in the water. Otherwise, your products will quickly deteriorate and can harm your health.
Manufacturing technology
In order for you to get a finished product, you need to go through several stages. The production of drinking bottled water begins with the receipt of raw materials.
To store it, you will need large tanks made from environmentally friendly materials. After that, the liquid must undergo multi-stage purification:
Mechanical. Moreover, it is carried out in 2 stages: coarse (impurities of 450 microns in size are eliminated) and fine, due to which the smallest particles of debris are removed from the water.
Chemical. Produced using the latest technologies and materials. Combined methods are used here: chlorination (the most common), ultraviolet or ozone treatment.
Now the prepared water can be poured into containers. This happens on an automated line that does not require human intervention. Additionally, you can enrich your products with oxygen.
The culture of drinking bottled water has recently been gaining momentum. Residents of large cities and metropolitan areas are increasingly realizing that it is much more beneficial to consume water that has passed a rigorous laboratory analysis. The retail market for bottled water has a steady upward trend.
But the industry is not without problems. And one of the main ones is the presence of unscrupulous manufacturers who understand that the production of a low-quality product costs a penny, and brings considerable profit. For bottling, they take ordinary tap water, screw on the lid, stick a label on it, and the product goes to the counter. The retail price of such water is two times cheaper than the brand. Such firms do not work for long, as a rule, they last for one or two seasons. Then they are either closed by law, or they close themselves, as the consumer, having tasted low-quality water, refuses to buy it again.
An entrepreneur who decides to organize own production carbonated water, you will have to solve a number of problems:
- Find a source of water collection (well)
- Find a place to organize production
- Register a business, obtain appropriate permits and a product certificate
- Purchase equipment - bottling line
- Hire working staff (10 - 15 people)
- Find distribution channels for products (shops, retail chains)
- Develop an advertising policy
We solve the raw material issue
The production of carbonated water requires only two types of raw materials: water and carbon dioxide. Many beginners believe that the first component should not be a problem. But we hasten to disappoint you: ordinary household water cannot be used to produce high-quality sparkling water, because it must go through a deep purification process. Otherwise, it will not be possible to pass laboratory tests and obtain a declaration of conformity.
Most of today's manufacturers use artesian or mineral spring water for bottling. This is beneficial not only in terms of obtaining certificates, but also in terms of marketing. The fact is that the source of water must be indicated on the label of the bottle. And the consumer often buys the water where a specific source is indicated (mineral, medicinal, and so on). And this water tastes much better than regular water.
When choosing a place for drilling a well, one should adhere to the norms of the law. It is forbidden to drill a well near industrial enterprises, cemeteries, cattle burial grounds and places of burial of dangerous substances.
The production of carbonated water requires carbon dioxide, which makes the drink carbonated. Carbon dioxide is purchased from special carbon dioxide plants. The average price of a CO2 cylinder (25 kg) is 500 rudders. One liter consumes about 4 grams of carbon dioxide, or 7 kopecks.
Water bottling equipment
The modern process of production of carbonated water involves the passage of two main stages: the preparation of water for bottling and the bottling of water itself into PET or glass containers.
For the first stage, equipment such as blending tanks, saturation plants, carbon dioxide stations and water coolers is used. At this stage, water is mixed with food concentrates, gassed and water is cooled.
Approximate equipment of the line for filling into PET containers includes a blow molding machine (for blowing PET containers), a water filling triblock, a pasteurizer, a labeling machine, a dater, an inspector, a packaging machine, a palletizer, a pallet wrapper. The line capacity is over 3,000 bottles of water per hour (1.5 liters).
If it is supposed to bottle into glass containers, then instead of a blow molding machine, the line set includes a depalletizer, a bottle extractor and a bottle washer. The purchase of such a line will require from $ 200 thousand.
The line allows you to automate the production process so that a minimum amount of labor is involved in it. By reducing labor costs, the cost of production is reduced.
If you save money and buy a semi-automatic machine for filling carbonated water into PET containers ($20 - 30 thousand), then the need for additional labor force and the rate of production will drop sharply. This will make the product more expensive, not as high quality and less competitive.
The documents
The sale of water in containers is subject to mandatory certification. This is reflected in the following normative documents: GOST R 52109-2003, GOST R 51074-2003 and SanPiN 2.1.4.1116-2002.
Certification is a rather complicated and lengthy process, but it is forbidden to release a product on the counter without it. First, control samples are sent for laboratory analysis to an organization that has the right to carry out such work. There, water is stored for the entire specified shelf life (6-12 months), after which a comparative analysis of storage samples and samples of fresh water is carried out. If they coincide in terms of positive qualities, then the second stage of certification begins: verification of a package of documents characterizing the quality of water. If water is pumped from an artesian well, it is necessary to provide the results of water analyzes from this well, as well as a license for the right to use the subsoil.
Based laboratory tests, checking the necessary documentation, specifications and instructions, the bodies of Rospotrebnadzor issue a conclusion on the technical specifications and a certificate of state registration product. Now water can be sold in retail chains.
Despite the idea of Russia as a country in which most of the population is constantly under the influence, the domestic market for soft drinks is constantly growing. Currently, its production figures have exceeded 20 billion rubles.
prospects
According to dry statistics, in summer time more than 75% of the population drinks carbonated drinks. Despite the fact that in recent years a large part of consumers prefer to buy juices, the market for carbonated soft drinks is constantly growing.
However, it should be borne in mind that only those industries that can produce really large batches of products can boast of high profitability today.
That is why most of domestic market belongs to the Coca-Cola Corporation, which is simply unrealistic for many domestic companies to compete with. That's just the cost of "branded" Coca-Cola drinks is such that even in major cities they are not always popular.
Simply put, if you establish the production of soft drinks of normal quality and at an affordable price, you can well count on a profitability of 30-35%.
Marketing problems
As you might have guessed, the main problem for domestic producers in the current situation is the sale of finished products. It often happens that large retailers simply ignore it frankly. The fact is that large chains require a "fee" up to several tens of thousands of dollars for the right to exhibit only one brand on the shelves of their stores.
Accordingly, it is much more profitable to work with wholesalers who are willing to sell products good quality. They work with many stores, so over time you can build a strong reputation and a circle of loyal customers.
We do not recommend relying on our own delivery services - the cost of purchasing and maintaining equipment that is suitable for transporting really large batches of products is such that only large retail chains can afford such a "pleasure".
If you want to create at least small production soft drinks, you will have to prepare for the need to spend at least 15-20 million rubles. All costs will pay off no earlier than in 4-5 years. The fact is that the competition in this market is extremely strong. If there are no funds to deploy an active advertising campaign, then it is pointless to start this business.
Some production features
Consider the main features of the production of soft drinks. The main component of all production is high-quality water. Many domestic manufacturers prefer to use their own artesian wells, trying to attract more buyers by using “artesian water saturated with mineral salts” in their products.
This is not only a publicity stunt: such products, in fact, are tastier. It definitely does not contain chlorine and other substances that are found in abundance in worn-out plumbing systems. By the way, large producers can take water even from the nearest puddle: the technologies they use make it possible to purify it to the state of the key.
Manufacturers throughout the former CIS are also distinguished by the fact that they use not sugar in the manufacture of soda, like their Western counterparts, but its substitutes. Everything is simple here: a kilogram of a more or less high-quality sweetener is equivalent in taste to 200 kg of natural sugar. Accordingly, the production of soft drinks based on them is much more profitable.
Used container
Whatever it was, another important component of the success of your production is the container. It is easy to guess that more than 70% of cheap domestic lemonade is produced in polymer containers.
It is best to rely on the production of drinks in containers of 0.5-1-1.5 liters, which is most in demand. Moreover, in the summer, the emphasis should be on the production of drinks in bottles of 1.5-2 liters, while in the winter, 0.5 liters is enough. In general, in the cold season, the production of carbonated drinks is expected to fall, and therefore, emphasis should be placed on promotions and other ways to attract customers.
In addition, in the summer, you can reduce the range to 3-4 of the most popular brands of soda. This approach allows you to guarantee the sale of all the produced quantity of drinks. Keep in mind that the most "hot" season lasts from May to September.
Production technology
One thing that cannot be blamed on the production of soft drinks is the complexity of the process itself. The tanker, 85% filled with prepared water, is pumped with carbon dioxide at a pressure of 3-4 atm. Note that the water temperature should not be higher than 4-5 degrees Celsius, since as a result it gains more gas.
Water is driven through conventional filters, the cost of a block of which today is no more than 15-20 thousand rubles. Their throughput is several thousand liters per day, the service life is up to a month.
Important! In no case do not buy cheap carbon dioxide, which is sold in large quantities by factories that produce beer. The fact is that this gas is heavily polluted with microorganisms, and even has a not very pleasant smell. This will not only immediately scare away buyers, but will also serve as a reason for the visit of specialists from the SES.
Colorings, sweeteners and preservatives (in some cases) are also added to the water. After that, it can be bottled.
Equipment for production and its cost
First, you will need a bottle making machine. Of course, you can buy them from third-party manufacturers, but in the end it turns out cheaper. Among other things, the production of lemonade requires a block for bottling water into bottles. Productivity - from 500 bottles per hour.
*The article is over 8 years old. May contain outdated information
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