Yorkshire Manufacturing Business Prolongs The Fizz For Carbonated Soft Drinks Sector

A Yorkshire based business is helping makers of carbonated drinks around the world to keep the fizz in their products for longer thanks to innovative bubble technology.

CO₂Sustain is a solution developed by Sustain CO2 Ltd and offers manufacturers and brands the ability to retain carbonation and extend product shelf life, giving consumers longer lasting fizzy drinks. The product is exported around the globe and the business is looking to expand into new territories.

From its manufacturing base in Horsforth, CO₂Sustain’s team of technical innovations chemists pioneered the preservative-free, liquid processing aid to retain the CO2 content and extend carbonation shelf life of drinks in PET plastic, using an exclusive patented formulation.

CO₂Sustain was developed in direct response to a problem that has troubled the carbonated drinks market for years: carbon dioxide loss. Its invention allows manufacturers and brands to maximise CO2 retention and enhance consumers’ overall product experience.

Now the revolutionary ingredient is helping drinks brands and manufacturers in the UK, throughout Europe and Africa to benefit from enhanced carbonation. The solution is also attracting significant attention from drinks brands in warmer countries. This problem of reduced carbonation shelf life is made worse when producing and distributing in hot climates, where refreshing drinks are in highest demand, as increased temperatures exacerbate carbon dioxide loss.

The product works by effectively wrapping itself around CO2 bubbles contained within carbonated soft drinks before they have the chance to merge, forming larger bubbles and accelerating the rate at which gas escapes. CO2Sustain creates microbubbles when added to the drink during the filling process which retain their size meaning that gas release is more controlled and less wasteful when the drink is opened and poured.

Jonathan Stott, general manager for CO₂Sustain said: “CO2 loss in PET bottles begins during filling, and by the time a drink reaches a consumer it can lose up to 40% of its carbonation. The majority of the loss occurs where carbon dioxide exits the liquid via the headspace. More CO2 is lost when the bottle is opened and poured. This often leads to consumer dissatisfaction with the product perceived as having gone ‘flat’ within a short space of time.

“As a result of using CO₂Sustain, less carbonated drinks reach consumers with short, waste-creating lifespans. Great news for manufacturers and retailers who can hold more stock for longer – meaning less waste, increased product lifespan and improved profitability.”

Drinks brands benefit in the longer term by providing a more pleasurable drinking experience for their consumers, with the drink maintaining the expected level of fizz, improving the product quality and brand perception.