Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide (CO2). It is a valuable part of temperature control across the food manufacturing industry. The unique properties of dry ice help make processing faster and more efficient without adding moisture or impacting production speeds. 

Below, we explore some of the key ways businesses can utilize dry ice and why it is such a beneficial tool for the food industry. 

The Main Types of Food-Grade Dry Ice

There are many ways to harness dry ice’s extremely low freezing temperature and its ability to sublimate from solid to gas. Made from carbon dioxide, dry ice is naturally tasteless, colorless and non-toxic, which makes it great for many food applications.

Opt for food-grade dry ice, which must be pure and exceed 99%. This ensures your products comply with regulations and are safe for consumption. 

Dry ice comes in various sizes, which can be more beneficial for specific uses, including:

Snow: As the smallest form of dry ice, snow is excellent for flash freezing when processing food. 
Pellets: Also quick-cooling and great for flash freezing, pellets are rice-sized granules that can be used in dry ice blasting.
Nuggets: Nuggets are larger and have a longer shelf life than snow or pellets, which makes them ideal for packing and shipping food products.
Slabs: With a slow sublimation rate, slabs of dry ice come in boards or strips, which is great for shipping. These can be made to fit airline catering trays to preserve food in tight spaces.
Blocks: Blocks are the largest form of dry ice, have the slowest sublimation rate and the longest shelf life. Grocery stores and ice cream parlors use blocks to keep their food products fresher for longer. You can also use blocks in shaved ice blasting. 

If you need help choosing the right form of dry ice for your food business, contact Meritus Gas Partners to speak with an expert.

Uses and Benefits of Dry Ice For Food Processing Businesses 

Dry ice’s different sizes make it a versatile product you can leverage at various stages of food manufacturing. Explore some of the key applications of dry ice in processing operations below.

Preservation

Dry ice is an advantageous tool for preserving food. Cryogenic or flash freezing uses snow or pellets of dry ice to rapidly freeze food products. To keep food frozen, slabs or blocks sublime more slowly for longer shelf lives. 

There are many benefits of using dry ice to preserve food, including: 

Better flavor and texture: By freezing produce quickly at the point of harvest, it locks in the flavor and texture for maximum freshness.
Reduced bacterial growth: The faster you freeze produce, the more you prevent bacteria from growing, ensuring you meet food quality standards. 
Longer shelf life: The extreme freezing temperature of dry ice preserves the quality of the product for longer.
Fewer chemicals: Using dry ice reduces the need to add harmful chemical preservatives to food.
Portability: Dry ice can help keep food products cold even when mechanical refrigeration is unavailable.
Quicker processing: Rapid freezing means you can streamline processing and reduce lead times to maintain peak freshness.

Transportation

Packing your food products with dry ice ensures they stay frozen on their way to your customers. This is vital for maintaining the quality of products like seafood, meat and ice cream, as any thawing or rethawing can affect the taste and texture of the food. 

Unlike regular ice, which melts into water, dry ice sublimes, meaning no liquid is left behind. This protects products from spoiling and ensures that the packaging remains dry. By preventing food or containers from deteriorating, you also comply with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations.

Cleaning

Dry ice blasting involves propelling pellets of dry ice through a compressed air nozzle, cleaning surfaces at the speed of sound. When the extremely cold pellets of dry ice hit the surface, they rapidly decrease the temperature and cause any contamination to become brittle and fracture. Unlike sandblasting or cleaning methods, dry ice vaporizes immediately on contact, leaving a clean, dry surface. 

From oven belts to food mixers, dry ice blasting can quickly clean your food production lines to remove any grease, crumbs or wax buildup. This means you comply with FDA rules that state you must protect food products from contaminants and allergen cross-contact.

The benefits of dry ice cleaning in the food industry include:

Stay online: You can even use dry ice blasting with warm or still running equipment, reducing downtime. 
Waterless: This is good for moisture-sensitive products like bakery items, as no liquids are left behind. You also reduce water usage, which is good for the environment and your business’s utility bills. 
Deep clean with ease: Dry ice blasting is powerful and gets into hard-to-reach areas without needing extra tools or disassembly.
Non-corrosive: Without any abrasive chemicals, dry ice blasting is kinder to your machinery when carried out correctly. 
Mobile: Dry ice blasting equipment is compact and mobile, so cleaning schedules take less time and labor.

Another form of cleaning, shaved ice blasting, offers similar benefits. The difference is that it uses shavings from blocks of dry ice. This allows for a more sensitive clean, as the supply of dry ice is less dense. 

Pest Control

When sublimating, dry ice turns from solid carbon dioxide to gas. As this gas emanates, it becomes lethal for insects and pests. This requires a high concentration of carbon dioxide gas to be effective.

By using carbon dioxide’s natural properties to control pests, you avoid using chemicals. This is better for the environment, with no runoff or impact on food chains. At the same time, dry ice is non-toxic and leaves no residue, so it is safe to use around food without contamination. 

Using dry ice for pest deterrence also helps your business comply with regulatory agencies. The FDA stipulates that pests must not be allowed in any area of a food facility and that any management strategies must not contaminate any food, surfaces or packaging. Dry ice can be an effective way of achieving this. 

Find Your Nearest Dry Ice Supplier with Meritus Gas Partners

Dry ice has many uses across food manufacturing, from preservation to cleaning. It is an efficient way of ensuring you send out quality food products that meet compliance regulations and get to your customers in optimal condition.

At Meritus Gas Partners, we have built a network of independently run gas and welding supply distributors to provide the best solutions for your business. We prioritize timely deliveries and excellent customer service. Find a partner supplying food-grade quality dry ice near you today, or contact a Meritus expert to learn more. 

The secret to a perfectly carbonated beverage goes beyond the recipe. A high-quality and consistent gas supply is essential for keeping your drinks bubbly, refreshing and delicious. Whether you are a craft brewer, a restaurant owner or a beverage manufacturer, selecting a dependable gas supplier is crucial for achieving the ideal flavor, texture, safety and shelf life for your beverages. 

Essential Factors in Selecting a Beverage Gas Supplier

Understanding what to look for when choosing a beverage gas supplier can help you make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals.

Quality Assurance and Consistency

Impurities or inconsistencies in gas supply can lead to off-flavors, flat drinks or even health hazards. It is vital to choose a supplier that provides:

High-purity gases that meet industry standards for beverage production.
Regular quality checks and certificates of analysis (COAs) to verify gas purity.
Consistent supply to maintain optimal beverage dispensing without interruptions.

Supplier Comparison and Cost Analysis

Comparing suppliers based on costs goes beyond pricing. It entails evaluating the overall value each supplier offers. Some suppliers might have lower unit costs, but hidden fees like delivery rates, ancillary charges or rental fees add up. Also, consider how a supplier’s reliability, customer service and inventory stocking could save you time and money in the long run.

Delivery Reliability and Local Availability

Timely gas deliveries are essential to maintaining production schedules and meeting customer demand in the food and beverage industry. Assess your supplier’s delivery schedules, and be sure they can provide a reliable, local service that fits your needs and minimizes downtime.

Safety Standards and Industry Certifications

Safety is a nonnegotiable in the food and beverage industry. Your gas supplier should adhere to strict safety standards and possess certifications from recognized industry bodies like the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) and the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT).

Choose Meritus Gas Partners for Superior Beverage Gas Service

At Meritus Gas Partners, we have the expertise, experience and resources to provide outstanding beverage gas solutions. Here are some aspects that set us apart.

Customer Service and Consultation

We offer dedicated support to address our customers’ needs. Our experts provide consultation services that help you select the right gas mix for your applications, optimize gas usage and enhance beverage quality. 

Contract Flexibility and Bulk Supply Options

We recognize that every business has unique needs, so we offer flexible contract options catering to manufacturers of all sizes. Whether you are looking for short-term solutions or long-term bulk supply agreements, Meritus Gas Partners can provide cost-efficient options that scale with your business. 

Partner With Us Today for a Reliable Beverage Gas Supply

Your commitment to delivering high-quality beverages deserves a supplier who shares your dedication to excellence. Meritus Gas Partners offers high-quality, consistent and safe beverage gases to support your operations. Contact us today to discuss your needs, explore bulk supply options and discover how we can support your business with exceptional service.

Winemaking is a delicate art that involves a meticulous process of transforming grapes into a rich and flavorful elixir. Among the myriad techniques employed by vintners, cryomaceration has emerged as a crucial method that contributes significantly to the quality and character of the final product. This process, involving the controlled use of low temperatures during maceration, plays a pivotal role in extracting the essence of grapes and shaping the distinctive attributes of the wine.

What is Cryomaceration

Cryomaceration is a winemaking technique that integrates the principles of cold maceration with the benefits of controlled low temperatures. Typically employed with red grape varieties, this method involves chilling the grapes to temperatures below the standard fermentation range, often around 0 to 10 degrees Celsius. The grapes are then allowed to macerate in their skins before fermentation begins, enabling the extraction of color, aroma compounds, and phenolic substances in a more controlled and nuanced manner.

Preserving Aromas and Flavors:

One of the primary advantages of cryomaceration lies in its ability to preserve and enhance the aromatic profile of the wine. By subjecting the grapes to cold temperatures, the volatile aromatic compounds present in the skins are retained, resulting in wines with a more pronounced and complex bouquet. This delicate process ensures that the wine captures the true essence of the grape variety, providing a sensorial experience that is both captivating and distinctive.

Color Extraction and Tannin Management:

Cryomaceration is particularly valuable for red wines as it facilitates optimal color extraction from the grape skins. The extended contact between the chilled grapes and their skins allows for a gradual release of pigments, resulting in wines with deep and vibrant hues. Additionally, the controlled extraction of tannins during cryomaceration contributes to the wine’s structure and aging potential. Vintners can manage tannin levels more precisely, creating wines that strike a harmonious balance between texture and flavor.

Improved Fermentation Control:

The use of cryomaceration also enhances the winemaker’s control over the fermentation process. By initiating fermentation at lower temperatures, winemakers can slow down the process, allowing for a more gradual and gentle extraction of compounds. This controlled fermentation contributes to the development of smoother and more elegant wines, with a refined structure that sets them apart from wines produced through conventional methods.

In the realm of winemaking, where every nuance can shape the final product, cryomaceration stands out as a technique that marries science and artistry. From preserving aromatic compounds to managing tannins and enhancing color extraction, this method empowers vintners to craft wines of exceptional quality and complexity. As consumers continue to appreciate the subtleties of fine wines, cryomaceration is likely to remain a cornerstone in the repertoire of techniques employed by skilled winemakers dedicated to pushing the boundaries of flavor and elegance in every bottle.

Carbonation is crucial to the beverage industry as it allows you to offer a range of drinks to suit diverse client tastes. Through carbonation, you can produce sodas, sparking water, fizzy fruit juices and even alcoholic beverages. By carbonating beverages, you can boost a drink’s taste, aroma and mouthfeel.

Successfully carbonating soda involves understanding how carbonation techniques work and having the right equipment for commercial soda carbonation. This guide to soda carbonation explores the chemical process of carbonation, including the role of carbon dioxide (CO2), essential equipment and how to maintain beverage systems.

Making Soda Through Forced Carbonation

There are two main carbonation methods in the beverage industry — bottle carbonation, also called bottle conditioning, and forced carbonation.

Bottle carbonation is used for alcoholic beverages. You add sugar to a fermented drink and allow the yeast to convert the sugar into CO2. This process is time-consuming and labor-intensive and is not suited for carbonating soda. 

Forced carbonation is the most effective way of carbonating drinks to make soda. In this method, you use a bulk CO2 storage system and a carbonator tank, which is a pressurized vessel, to pump pressurized CO2 gas into your liquid. For soda, the liquid is a concentrated flavoring or beverage base combined with water and a sweetener to form a syrup. A carbonator pumps the CO2 gas to dissolve it into the liquid in the pressurized tank. The pressurized, dissolved CO2 gives soda its characteristic bubbles and fizz. 

Depending on your commercial setup, you will either store your drinks in a pressurized system with a dispenser — like you would see in fast food chains with soda fountains — or bottle your beverage under pressure to ensure it does not go flat.

CO2 Sources and Gas Purity Standards

To make carbonated drinks commercially, you need to use beverage-grade CO2. The Food and Drug Administration sets the criteria and standards for beverage-grade CO2 to ensure it is suitable for consumption. Generally, the gas should be purified to be suitable for its intended use, free of contaminants, and tested and analyzed to avoid an unpleasant taste or odor.

Sourcing your CO2 from a reputable provider helps ensure that the gas is suitable for your sodas.

CO2 Safety Practices

Implementing the appropriate safety measures in any industry that works with CO2 gas and pressurized gases is essential. CO2 is an asphyxiant because it displaces oxygen. Doing the following is crucial to working more safely with CO2 and pressurized gas:

Work in a space with proper ventilation.
Install CO2 alarms to monitor levels.
Regularly inspect and maintain all CO2 delivery systems.
Never modify or tamper with CO2 equipment or systems.

Carbonation Levels in Different Drinks

Different beverages have differing carbonation levels, which affect their overall characteristics and properties. For example, sodas generally have higher carbonation levels than sparkling water. Beers, sparkling wines, champagnes and cocktails also have different carbonation levels.

You can use a pressure gauge or carbonation meter to measure the carbonation in your beverages. Soda generally has between 3 to 4 volumes or the equivalent of 6 to 8 gallons per liter of CO2. It is important to remember that you can vary these levels depending on the type of drink you are producing and how that will match your customers’ preferences.

Equipment and Maintenance for Carbonation

The right equipment is essential for forced carbonation techniques to produce commercial sodas. The carbonator is one of the most important components in your beverage system, as this is where your beverage mix and CO2 combine to produce soda.

Choosing the right size beverage carbonation tank is essential for meeting your production demands and having a system you can maintain. Speaking to a professional about the right beverage system for you can help you determine the right size for your productions. You can also explore customizable beverage system solutions that cater to your industry, whether you’re a beverage distributor or own a commercial establishment.

Another essential piece of equipment is a backflow preventer that stops the carbonated liquid from pushing back into the potable water supply. A backflow preventer is critical if you have systems with copper water lines or pipes, as the carbonated liquid can erode the copper and contaminate the potable water.

Maintaining your beverage systems is key to your equipment’s longevity and efficiency. Thoroughly and regularly cleaning your system can help you keep it in top condition.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Like any technique, you may encounter a few common issues when carbonating soda. Thankfully, most of these concerns are simple to troubleshoot:

Flat soda: If your beverages are flat, check that your carbonator is plugged in and functioning normally. If you have an issue with the carbonator, call your provider to repair or replace the unit. You can also check your CO2 tank in a ventilated space to ensure it still has sufficient gas and isn’t leaking. Call a professional gas provider immediately if the tank appears to be leaking. 
You are getting only syrup: If you notice you are not getting fizzy water and the system is supplying only syrup, your water source may be faulty. Additionally, there may be kinks in the hose preventing water from flowing to the unit. 
Soda discoloration: If your soda appears discolored or dirty, your dispensing nozzle and other parts of your unit may need cleaning and sanitizing. Contact your system supplier if you continue getting discolored soda after cleaning the unit. 

Advanced Calibration Techniques

The Brix scale is a way of measuring the sugar content in food and beverages. Advanced calibration techniques like Brix calibration can help you fine-tune the taste of your drinks. Brix calibration is a way of adjusting the water-to-syrup ratio for each of your soda flavors. 

An indication that you may need Brix calibration is if customers say the soda is too sweet or too watery. This regulation solution is an excellent method for quality control and producing consistent beverages.

Commercial Beverage Systems and Beverage-Grade CO2 From Meritus Gas Partners

Carbonating sodas on any production level becomes far more efficient with the right techniques and equipment. Your soda production can also become more efficient and professional with proper equipment maintenance, advice and support.

At Meritus Gas Partners, our reputable partners are reliable gas distributors who will assist you every step of the way when purchasing a quality beverage system. Whether you’re in the business of sodas or alcoholic beverages, we have systems and solutions for carbonated drinks, from CO2 Mini-Systems to bulk systems and quality gas blends.

Visit any of our affiliated branches or contact us today for expert guidance on soda carbonation equipment and industrial gas supplies. 

The food and beverage industry has undergone significant transformations in recent years. Increased nutritional and sustainability awareness has resulted in a heightened demand for effective and natural food and beverage preservation alternatives. In the food and beverage industry, gas is proving a practical option. Innovative packaging, preservation, cooling and water treatment techniques are critical to meet growing consumer demands.

The United States produced 36,353,023 million cubic feet of natural gases in 2022 alone. If you’re involved in any food and beverage business, using the right gases can revolutionize your operations, providing various efficient and cost-effective options that satisfy consumers and boost your bottom line.

Why Are Gases Important in the Food and Beverage Industry?

The food and beverage industry has enjoyed the benefits of industrial and natural gases for decades. Over the years, customer expectations around the freshness and nutrient quality in packaged foods have changed. Gases continued to ensure high food quality and cost savings for food and beverage manufacturers. Innovations like modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) allow for the preservation of minimally processed foods such as fish, meat and fresh produce.

Gases solve many food and beverage challenges, such as adequate transportation, processing costs and meeting consumer demands. Food industry gas can freeze foods in minutes instead of hours, maintaining their moisture, texture and flavor. They can facilitate the storage and transportation of fragile foods, enhance the texture and taste of many beverages and even provide alternative energy solutions for processing, serving and selling various products.

What Are Food Gases?

Food-grade gases are a category of industrial gas purpose manufactured for the food and beverage industry. They are common in the manufacturing, processing, handling, storage and sterilization of foods and beverages and are subject to stringent government regulations.

As they come into contact with food products, these gases must remain free of contaminants and be classified as high purity to be suitable for food and beverage applications. Although it depends on the specific gas, most food-grade options must be above 99% purity.

Gas in food creation and handling is limited to the following areas: 

Additives: Enhancing the taste or texture of food or drinks. 
MAP: Gases are permitted in packaging to preserve freshness, prevent damage during transit and ease processing constraints. 
Sterilization: Certain gases can sterilize food items without the use of solvents.
Propellents: Gases can help dispense food or beverages from storage vessels, like beer from a keg. 
Freezing and chilling: Food-grade nitrogen and carbon dioxide are available as cryogenic liquids for fast freezing, preserving the nutrients in food, lengthening the shelf life and streamlining processing. 

Liquified Petroleum Gas for Cooking

Aside from food storage, preparation and processing, non-food-grade gases are essential for restaurant owners and hoteliers. Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is a non-toxic mixture of hydrocarbon gases, the most common being butane and propane. With the right mix of air and LPG, users can ignite the gas for cooking. It’s a growing phenomenon in food and beverage applications.

Compared to biogas, LPG is a clean fuel. It releases fewer pollutants than any fuel except electricity, making it safe for kitchens. It has lower greenhouse gas emissions than many other alternatives. LPG is used on gas stoves, cooktops and hot water systems.

Gas Applications for the Food and Beverage Industry

Gases are common in the food and beverage industry, from the gas in food and drinks to the LPGs used for cooking. Each gas has its own properties and benefits in the food and beverage industry, the most common of which include:

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the best-known gases in the food and beverage industry. It’s the fourth most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere and is colorless, odorless, inert and non-toxic. Although best known for carbonating various beverages, it has several other applications. Some of its many uses include: 

Carbonated beverages: CO₂ is highly soluble. It’s often infused into drinks, preventing spoilage during storage and making them fizzy. When it comes into contact with water, it reacts and becomes carbonic acid, giving people a tingling sensation when they take a sip. Carbonic acid also controls the pH levels of certain beverages, such as wine and fruit juice.
Cryogenic cooling: Carbon dioxide food-grade gas is used as a cooling agent, allowing manufacturers to freeze and chill food and beverage products, sealing in their taste and texture for longer. Using CO₂ eliminates the need for potentially harmful chemical preservatives.
Food preservation: Fresh fruits, vegetables and grains are susceptible to pest infestations during storage. Introducing CO₂ into storage facilities can prevent this because it’s deadly to pests at certain levels but non-toxic to humans.
MAP: Aside from pest control, CO₂ can preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables for extended periods in the MAP and controlled atmosphere packaging (CAP) processes. It prevents oxidation, slowing ripening and preventing mold development.
Meat industry: CO₂ is used to immobilize and stun animals before slaughter. It increases their blood pressure and improves meat quality. After slaughter, it’s often used as a refrigerant. The cooling and freezing process is faster, ensuring better storage and preservation of meats without losing taste or texture. 
Dry ice: Dry ice — made from CO₂ — is often preferred in transporting frozen foods. It evaporates as a gas, whereas regular ice evaporates into water, keeping food dry during transportation. 
Fresh produce: Plants use sunlight, CO₂ and water to grow, and farmers often control CO₂ levels in greenhouses to promote growth. 

Nitrogen

Nitrogen gas (N₂) is ubiquitous in the food and beverage industry, occupying approximately 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere. It’s inexpensive, widely available and inert, making it a chemical-free alternative for several essential processes. There are many uses for nitrogen in food, from preserving freshness to limiting damage during transit. Some of the most common uses for nitrogen in food and beverage applications include: 

MAP: N₂ is used to displace oxygen in food packaging to preserve freshness, protect nutrients and limit microbial growth. It’s commonly used to protect fragile foods like potato chips, inflating the bags to cushion them during transportation.
Aeration: When you aerate certain foods with nitrogen, it creates a specific look at texture, like the tiny bubbles you see in certain chocolate bars. 
Pressurization and beverage dispensing: Pressurized nitrogen is often used to dispense beverages like beer and coffee. Nitrogen bubbles are smaller than CO₂, keeping the carbonation in these beverages and giving them a smooth, creamy texture. Nitro-beers and coffees are increasingly popular due to their unique silky texture. Typical beer gas consists of 75% N₂ and 25% CO₂. 
Beverage processing: N₂ is often used to regulate the fermentation process of high-quality wine, beer and other beverages, enhancing their flavor and aroma. It’s also used for non-alcoholic drinks made from fruits and vegetables.
Cryogenic cooling: Like CO₂, nitrogen plays a significant role in the rapid cryogenic cooling of food products, allowing them to freeze while maintaining their nutritional value. 
Food processing: Various food processing techniques require N₂, including purging, inerting and blanketing — typical applications that displace oxygen with nitrogen gas to control microbial growth, prevent oxidation and enhance the quality of food products. 

Oxygen

Oxygen (O₂) is becoming increasingly popular in the food and beverage industry. It’s an environmentally friendly alternative for many standard options and meets several regulatory standards. Food-grade oxygen has several health benefits and helps maintain the visual appeal of various food products, making them attractive to customers. Some typical uses of O₂ include:

Oxidizing agent: Oxidizing meats can help them maintain their red color, eliminating the gray color that makes them look unappealing before purchase. 
Preservation: O₂ improves the breathing rates and extends the metabolism of fresh fruits and vegetables, retaining their freshness. 
Ozone: O₂ is used to produce ozone in food and beverage applications. Ozone is essential for controlling pest infestations and sterilization in industrial manufacturing. 
Fish breeding and transportation: Fish and seafood farmers can protect their stock against O₂ deficiencies by oxidating their water, ensuring their growth, health, appetite and general well-being. Transporting live fish and shellfish involves placing them in sealed plastic bags with small quantities of water and pure O₂. 
Drinking water: Infusing drinking water with O₂ improves the taste and texture. It’s also an effective wastewater treatment, allowing for effective water cleaning and recycling. 

Hydrogen

Hydrogen gas (H₂) has diverse uses in the food and beverage industry, from food preservation to semi-solid fats. It’s the most abundant element on Earth. Although not as prevalent in food and beverage applications as some other gases, hydrogen uses are diversifying in line with innovative technology like hydrogen fuel cells. Some typical applications for hydrogen include:

Hydrogenation: The hydrogenation process prevents oxidation in oils, ensuring a longer shelf life. Hydrogenated oils have a very high smoking point, making them suitable for frying. The fast food industry uses partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to give baked and fried foods the desired texture and crispiness.
Hydrogen fuel cells: As the name suggests, hydrogen fuel cells use hydrogen fuel to create a chemical reaction that results in electricity. While this process is a sustainable alternative to power generation, fuel cell technology also produces food-grade CO₂, allowing manufacturers to work toward their sustainability goals. Manufacturers can use hydrogen fuel cells to create heat and electrical power while recycling CO₂ into a valuable food-grade product. 

Argon

Argon (Ar) is an inert, water-soluble gas with multiple applications across industries like health care, welding and manufacturing. It’s the third most abundant gas in the air, and essential in the food and beverage industry for the following applications:

Preservation: Argon is often used to displace O₂ in wine barrels to prevent oxidation. As an inert gas, it locks in flavor and freshness during storage. It’s denser than air, settling above the liquid to protect it from souring. The process is popular in the wine bottling process.
MAP: While O₂, N₂ and CO₂ are popular options in MAP, argon can supplement or replace CO₂-N₂ mixtures to enhance the effectiveness of current MAP approaches. 
Beverage processing: Argon is a popular choice because it fulfills many processing needs, from purging and blanketing to flushing and dispensing. 

Helium

Helium (He) is the smallest molecular gas of all the food gases. While it may be less familiar, it remains helpful in the food and beverage industry. Helium’s reduced dimensions allow it to exit containers through minuscule holes, so it’s often used to detect leaks in packaging. 

How to Choose the Right Supplier for the Food and Beverage Industry

Whether you’re well established or entering the food and beverage industry, getting quality food-grade gases is essential. As they’re used in the processing, preparation and storage of food and beverages, they’re subject to considerable scrutiny. You need an experienced and trustworthy supplier to ensure your operational profitability.

Find a Partner Near You

Consumer needs are changing, and increased nutritional awareness is sparking interest in healthy foods and drinks, most of which require food-grade gases to carbonate, preserve, deoxidize, store and transport. Choosing the right food and beverage gas supplier involves several considerations, including after-sale support, timeliness of orders and industry experience. 

If your strategy involves healthy and sustainable options, your supplier should place the same value on contributing to the environment. Ask what steps your potential supplier has taken to minimize environmental impact in their processes. Establishing the availability of the various gases you require for your specific application is also critical, as running low and waiting for orders could result in costly downtime.

The Future of Gases in the Food and Beverage Industry

In a time of increasing health, ethics and sustainability, consumer views are rapidly evolving. The shift in consumer behavior is transforming food and beverage industry operations and allowing them to pay more attention to climate change issues. In line with the shift toward sustainability, regulation changes motivate food and beverage companies to take action and influence positive consumer choices. 

Using gases is vital to successful food and beverage operations, and the future is likely to reveal a shift away from harmful emissions, paving the way for eco-friendly gases. Like many other industries, food and beverage operations stand to benefit from improving energy efficiency, precision and safety. Innovative technology like hydrogen fuel cells could pave the way for additional gas applications. 

Trust Meritus Gas Partners for All Your Food and Beverage Gas Requirements

The food and beverage industry relies on gases for safe transportation and improved product quality. Natural gases support many food and beverage processes, allowing preservative-free and safe beverages while improving product longevity, flavor and appeal. Any business involved in this complex and dynamic industry needs a trusted supplier of specialty gases and food-grade products.

Meritus Gas Partners is a network of independently operated gas and welding supplies distributors positioned to support food and beverage industry demands. Food and beverage gas suppliers have vast experience in providing food-grade gases to businesses nationwide. Our shared commitment to superior customer service and innovation means we provide exceptional local service, ensuring you get your gases when you need them the most.

Feel free to visit your local branch and speak to an expert to learn how we can fulfill your business needs. Alternatively, contact us today, and we’ll be in touch to walk you through the purchasing process and answer any questions.