Water Bottling
So many people are looking for additional income streams through selling bottled water and while the entrance requirements are low, this product still falls under the health legislation related to selling food stuffs and hygiene is very important.
Bottled Water
The entry levels into water bottling can be very low and in essence a good source of quality water is required with storage facilities. From the water storage the water is filtered and sanitised then pumped through various sediment filters to a production line.
The Water Bottling production line should comprise of :
Water Bottle & Cap Rinsing System
Water Bottle filling system
Water Bottle Labeling and batch coding system
Packing system to pack bottles in sets of 6′s or 12′s
Pallet Storage facility
Filtration for water bottling has to be of a better quality than used for domestic drinking water and many of the larger companies will use a 7 – 8 step process.
Water Softener, sediment water filters, carbon water filters, reverse osmosis, de-ionising resin or a polishing filter , absolute sediment water filters at 0.25 microns, ozonation , Uv and a final absolute filter before the filling line.
Just like a whole house filter system a water analysis is crucial before taking any steps as the results from this will determine the costs of running the filtration as well as the way that the water can be marketed. Mineral,spring, Natural or processed water.
Water Bottle Labeling
Water Bottle labeling is very important and any design must make allowances for legislation related to labeling the product. There are 11 elements that must appear on the label with the description of the process used to filter the water.
In addition a batch code & expiry date added to the bottle in an indelible way such as ink jet printing or laser printing is required. The batch code is more for internal monitoring and quality control. Earlier in the year it was still possible to add a sticky label but that is no longer allowed.
Water Bottle Sterilisation & Pre-washing
Any bottle or closure (cap) that is filled with water or liquid for resale must first be pre-washed or sanitised and the media of choice is ozonation as it far faster and safer than chlorination. UV sterilisation is also used just before the filling machines to ensure that any bacteria residue is eradicated before the product is filled.
Water Bottling Production Line Cleaning
All systems that are used for bottling must adhere to strict hygiene and cleanliness and the use of a C.I.P or Clean in Place System is paramount. Air and water borne bacteria can easily introduced to the product during the many stages in the production process from filtration to rinsing,filling,capping,labeling and packing.
A CIP system flushes water through the system followed by a sanitising medium such as peroxide or perchlorate or caustic acid thereafter the system is once again flushed. Each and every nozzle , tap or filling device must be carefully cleaned, sanitised and rinsed prior to operation. This is equally valid for the small hand bottler and maybe even more so as the standards of smaller bottlers are substantially limited.
In a good filtration system all chemicals, salts and minerals are eradicated from the filling line and along with this goes sanitisation. Over time bacteria will build in any line whether it is supplying ozone or not and cleaning will be required. The water bottler that ignores the crucial CIP process is sitting on a time bomb which will explode – guaranteed!
Our website, National Bottled Water Standards covers Water Bottling and requirements in depth. Access to an online library is available for cents and a book is being produced to assist all would be Water bottlers with their business