Water pre-treatment process in food industry

A successful food and beverage processing operation needs a stable high water quality supply and the appropriate treatment of wastewater. On many occasions the finished product is not just a result of the raw material, but caused by changes in feed water quality. Besides water quality, the most important requirement is reasonable cost for the feed water. There are several fresh water sources, which are chosen upon several factors. The most appropriate action is as less treatment as possible. The regulations are stringent and defined in detail. The objective of this review is to provide a brief explanation of the water pre-treatment methods available in food processing, emphasizing on clean technologies, such as membrane technologies, aeration and ion exchange.