Whether you’re producing dairy milk or plant-based beverages, you probably already have most of the equipment you need to make RTD coffee. Here we explain how you can adapt an existing line in order to capture this exciting opportunity.
Key steps in any upgrade
No two upgrades are identical. What you will need to add or adjust depends entirely on the technology already in place and, of course, your ambitions for the future. Together, we can evaluate your current processing capabilities - from mixing and blending, to homogenising and heat treatment - and identify what changes are needed.
Once you have the right equipment in place, you may want to consider further optimisation with automation, or additional training and support for operational staff working with new recipes and ingredients.
While individual upgrade programmes are always unique, the following examples highlight two typical ways to adapt existing lines to capture this exciting opportunity.
Research shows that lattés are the most common type of RTD coffee sold today. 87% of RTD coffee producers make lattés, and 80% of retailers sell them.1 But there’s still plenty of room for innovation and expansion. So, if you’re already producing dairy milk and want to diversify your offering without the need for an entirely new line, the RTD coffee category is a good place to start. With just a few additions, you could get more productivity and profitability out of your existing equipment.
Mixing
• If your line does not already include a mixing and blending station, you will need one to incorporate the sugar, stabilisers, coffee powder and coffee concentrate. A mixer will also allow you to make the recipe adjustments required to achieve the correct product pH for your new RTD coffee products.
• Together, we evaluate the complexity of your RTD coffee recipe and, based on this, we recommend the best mixing solution. The addition of a Tetra Pak® High Shear Mixer or Tetra Pak® Mixer RJCI (Radial Jet Coaxial Injector) will allow you to handle everything from the simplest to the most advanced to recipes.
• If you’re bringing in large quantities of new ingredients, you may also need to add powder handling and storage facilities. We offer a range of solutions for this, and can recommend the one that best suits your business.
Water filtration
• If you plan to make black coffee on your existing dairy production line, you will need water to dilute the coffee concentrate. The quality of this water will impact the flavour of end product.
• A water assessment may reveal that your existing supply is good enough to use in your RTD coffee products as is. If not, it can be improved using Tetra Pak filtration equipment. A high performing reverse osmosis unit is a popular option for plant-based RTD coffee recipes.
UHT Processing
• If you’re already producing ambient milk, the same UHT equipment can, in all likelihood, be used to heat and cool your RTD coffee products as well.
• Some minor modifications may be needed, however, to achieve the desired shelf life and product flavour. If that is the case, our processing experts will do the necessary calculations and recommend adjustments, based on your needs.
Cleaning in place and sealings
• If you want to continue producing dairy milk on the same line as RTD coffee, there is a risk of flavour and colours being transferred from one product to the other. To prevent this, you may need to make minor adjustments your CIP (Cleaning-in-place) programme. Having said that, the cleaning process for milk production equipment is already very thorough, so changes are rarely necessary.
However, we do recommend changing the sealings throughout your processing line. Sealings made with fluoropolymer elastomer and synthetic rubber compound materials are ideal for guarding against the transfer of colours and flavours.
Homogenization
• The desired shelf ife of your RTD coffee products will probably be longer than that of your ambient white milk. And, with a longer shelf life, comes the risk of fat separation. This is easily solved by increasing homogenisation efficiency. Our processing experts can recommend a suitable upgrade, if needed.
As a plant-based beverage producer, you already know how it feels to be in a youthful, rapidly evolving category. Whether you’re making products based on oats, soya, rice, potatoes, or something else entirely, your consumers are open to new experiences, so why not upgrade your line to add plant-based RTD coffee drinks to the mix? You can adapt your production line, with just a few simple changes:
Mixing
• You probably already have a mixing and blending station on your plant-based beverage line. If, for some reason you do not, you will need one to incorporate the sugar, stabilisers, coffee powder and concentrate in your RTD coffee products. A mixer will also allow you to make the recipe adjustments required to achieve the correct pH for your new RTD coffee products.
• Together, we evaluate the complexity of your RTD coffee recipe and, based on this, we recommend the best mixing solution. The addition of a Tetra Pak® High Shear Mixer or Tetra Pak® Mixer RJCI (Radial Jet Coaxial Injector) will allow you to handle everything from the simplest to the most advanced to recipes.
• If you’re bringing in large quantities of new ingredients, you may also need to add powder handling and storage facilities. We offer a range of solutions for this, and can recommend the one that best suits your business.
UHT Processing
• If you’re already producing ambient plant-based beverages, the same UHT equipment can, in all likelihood, be used to heat and cool your RTD coffee as well.
• Some minor modifications may be needed, however, to achieve the desired shelf life and product flavour. Our processing experts will gladly do the necessary calculations and recommend any adjustments, based on your needs.
Homogenization
• The desired shelf ife of your RTD coffee products may be longer than that of your plant-based beverages. And, with a longer shelf life, comes the risk of fat separation. This is easily solved by increasing homogenisation efficiency. Our processing experts can recommend a suitable upgrade, if needed.
Cleaning in place and sealings
• If you want to continue producing plant-based beverages on the same line as RTD coffee, there is a risk of flavour and colours being transferred from one product to the other. To prevent this, you may need to make minor adjustments your CIP (Cleaning-in-place) programme. Having said that, the cleaning process for plant-based production equipment is already very thorough, so changes are rarely necessary.
• However, we do recommend changing the sealings throughout your processing line. Sealings made with fluoropolymer elastomer and synthetic rubber compound materials are ideal for guarding against the transfer of colours and flavours.
1 Base: 46 (manufacturers) 15 (retailers) Question: Which of the following varieties of ready to drink coffee do you produce?