Explore The Production Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea in PET Bottles at FGC

FGC’s production process of ready-to-drink tea, powered by hot fill technology, ensures consistent flavor and safety. Let’s learn more about the key steps for a delicious tea drink, from brewing to final packaging.

Contents

Introduction

Convenient, diverse in taste, and packed with health advantages, ready-to-drink (RTD) teas have grown in popularity. These beverages allow consumers to enjoy the refreshing taste of tea without the need for preparation. At FGC, the production process of ready-to-drink tea in PET bottles follows a carefully designed process, focusing on quality, safety, and sustainability. Using hot fill technology, a highly efficient and reliable method, FGC ensures that each bottle of RTD tea is fresh, flavorful, and safe for consumption. In this article, we will explore the production process at FGC and discuss the steps taken to ensure that every bottle meets the highest standards of quality.

1. Ready-to-drink teas and ingredients

Ready-to-drink (RTD) tea is a pre-made tea that has been brewed, sweetened (if necessary), infused with flavors, and packaged, ready for consumption without further preparation. It is generally enjoyed as hot and cold preparations. Unlike loose-leaf tea or tea bags, where consumers must steep the tea themselves, RTD tea offers a convenient solution by providing a fully prepared tea beverage. Typically filled in lightweight, recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, these teas are easy to transport and reflect a commitment to sustainability.

RTD tea comes in a wide range of flavors, combining green tea, black tea, or herbal tea with floral and fruit flavors. Our products are under the Cozy brand, a leading tea brand in Vietnam. Our Cozy RTD teas are brewed to capture the authentic taste of freshly made tea, ensuring that the beverage offers the same refreshing experience as home-brewed tea. We offer unique flavor combinations, allowing consumers to enjoy the perfect balance of tea and added flavors in every sip. In addition to its robust flavor and subtly astringent aftertaste, we incorporate sweeteners such as sugar or honey often to balance the bitterness, while lemon or peach can add a refreshing kick.

Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea (1) — Diverse flavors of RTD tea by FGC

Ingredients in RTD tea

The foundation of RTD tea lies in the quality of its ingredients. At FGC, we are committed to using only the finest raw materials to ensure an exceptional product in both quality and nutritional value. Tea leaves and water are the primary ingredients in RTD tea. Sweeteners, natural flavors, and additives act as flavor enhancers, helping to enrich the flavor and fulfill the enjoyable experience for the consumer.

Tea leaves: High-quality tea leaves sourced from sustainable farms form the base of every RTD tea. FGC uses many types of tea leaves for diverse flavors, from traditional teas such as green tea, black tea, and oolong tea to herbal teas like chamomile tea, rooibos tea, etc.
Water: It is crucial to use purified water that is carefully treated to achieve optimal mineral content and purity levels. This treated water ensures consistent taste and product stability across production batches.
Natural flavors: Depending on the product type, sweeteners such as sugar, stevia, or other natural alternatives are added.
Sweeteners: Natural extracts from fruits, herbs, or spices are added to create diverse flavor profiles.

Explore the potential of ready-to-drink tea market:

Ready-to-drink Tea: A tea segment has great growth potential

2. Key stages of RTD tea processing

At FGC, the production of ready-to-drink tea in PET bottles follows a series of well-controlled stages, each critical to ensuring a safe and high-quality product. FGC utilizes Hot Fill technology to preserve the freshness, flavor, and safety of the tea without the need for preservatives. This method involves filling products at high temperatures to achieve commercial sterility while also sterilizing the packaging material. Below are the key steps in the RTD tea production process.

Tea extraction and brewing

Based on the type of RTD tea being produced, FGC selects suitable tea leaves (black, green, herbal, etc.). The tea leaves are brewed using hot water at carefully controlled temperatures and times to extract the optimal flavor and aroma. For the delicate nuances of green tea, we employ lower temperatures, typically between 75-85°C, ensuring that its subtle characteristics are preserved. In contrast, black tea requires hotter water, typically ranging from 85-95°C, for a stronger brew. After the brewing time, the tea leaves will be removed, and the tea liquor will be pre-filtered using a sieve filter or double filter to remove large solid particles and impurities. We also use a centrifuge to further separate the solids in the tea.

Tea and ingredient mixing

In this stage, sugar or other sweeteners are dissolved in the tea base. The amount of sweetener is carefully measured to maintain consistency and meet the product’s desired sweetness level. Natural flavors like lemon, peach, or herbs are added during this stage. If necessary, acidulants are added to the tea to adjust pH levels or enhance flavor. When the tea beverage is stirred, the airspace above the liquid level of the mixing tank is protected by CO2. This can prevent the tea polyphenols from oxidizing and preserving their color during the blending process.

Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea (2) — Mixing tanks at FGC’s factory

RTD tea sterilization

Tea beverages are beverages with a pH value of above 4.6, so they need to use ultra-high-temperature sterilization. The RTD tea is heated to a temperature between 127°C and 135°C (depending on the type of tea). This high temperature effectively sterilizes the tea, eliminating any harmful microorganisms that may be present. The tea is held at this temperature for a set time to ensure thorough sterilization. The hot fill method (hyperlink) removes the necessity for artificial preservatives while ensuring the product remains safe and stable for an extended period.

Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea (3) — Sterilization process using advanced technology

Filling in PET bottles

After being sterilized, RTD tea will be reduced to a temperature of about 90°C to fill the bottle at a temperature of 84-87°C. The sterilized tea is then poured into a PET bottle that has been shaped and preheated to avoid bottle deformation caused by hot liquid. The bottle is immediately sealed with a sterilized cap. The filling is done in a sterile environment, ensuring that no contaminants are introduced during the process. Then, the semi-finished product quickly passes through the bottle inverse conveyor system. During this period, the hot liquid in the bottle uses its own heat to sterilize the bottle cap and bottle mouth again. The sealed bottles are immediately cooled using cooling tunnels to stop the heat treatment, preventing overcooking of the tea and ensuring that the flavor remains intact.

Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea (4) — PET bottles are filled with RTD tea

Packaging

The final stage in the process of ready-to-drink tea is auto labeler and carton packing. Each PET bottle is labeled with essential product details, including ingredients, nutritional information, and barcode or batch numbers for traceability. FGC’s automated labeling process ensures both speed and accuracy, allowing for perfect labeling on every bottle. The bottles are then packed into cartons or trays for easier handling and transportation. Once packaged, the RTD tea is ready for distribution to supermarkets, convenience stores, and other retail outlets.

Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea (5) — Attaching the label to the tea bottles

3. Quality assurance during the production process of ready-ro-drink tea

Quality is central to FGC’s production process. From the careful selection of raw materials to the final bottling, we apply stringent quality control measures at every stage. This unwavering commitment ensures that our ready-to-drink tea products consistently meet the highest standards of safety and flavor.

Raw material inspection

At FGC, we are committed to using only the highest-quality ingredients in our RTD teas. Every component, from tea leaves to water, sweeteners, and flavorings, is subjected to meticulous testing prior to production. With tea leaves, we prioritize sourcing leaves from local and sustainable farms for freshness, flavor, and safety. All ingredients used in RTD tea are guaranteed to have clear origins with legal quality certification. The input water used in our production process will undergo rigorous testing to guarantee its purity, solid content, pH levels, and microbiological quality. Other equipment used in production such as boilers are controlled at a precise pressure appropriate to the product and maintained throughout the process.

In-process monitoring

Throughout the production process, FGC employs real-time monitoring systems to ensure consistent quality. In the brewing process, both temperature and brewing time are closely monitored to ensure the optimal extraction of flavor from the tea leaves. After mixing, we also check if all ingredients are combined to create a delightful unity of flavor and texture. Moreover, we maintain rigorous standards for filling conditions, closely supervising the temperature of the tea and ensuring a clean filling environment to eliminate any risk of contamination during the hot fill process. Besides the product quality, product appearance elements are also carefully checked to ensure that labels are perfectly aligned, caps are securely sealed, and the bottle is not defective to distribute to the market.

Process of Ready-To-Drink Tea (6) — Monitoring the sterilization process

Final product testing

Before any batch of RTD tea is released for distribution, it undergoes comprehensive final testing to ensure safety and quality. The first is microbiological testing, samples are checked for any dangerous bacteria to make sure it is safe to consume. A finished RTD tea bottle will undergo a meticulous five-day monitoring process in our laboratory. Advanced microbiological testing equipment is employed to precisely measure the levels of yeast, mold, and bacteria, etc. This rigorous evaluation guarantees that the product remains well within safe thresholds, ensuring its quality and safety throughout its designated shelf life.

Next, we assess the tea’s taste, aroma, and sweetness to ensure it aligns perfectly with our established flavor profile. Visual factors such as tea color, sediment, turbidity, etc. are also carefully checked. FGC also tests the PET bottles to confirm they are securely sealed, preventing any leakage during transportation or storage. In addition, we closely monitor the expiration date and product preservation process, ensuring that the product reaches consumers with intact quality.

Conclusion

The production process of ready-to-drink tea in PET bottles at FGC is a carefully controlled procedure that combines advanced hot fill technology with a focus on quality and safety. This involves every step, from the careful selection of premium tea leaves and flavoring components to the meticulous sterilization and packaging. FGC ensures that each bottle of RTD tea meets the highest standards of taste, and safety. By using hot fill technology, FGC is able to deliver a fresh and flavorful product without preservatives, making us a leader in the RTD tea industry.

About Future Generation Co., Ltd

Future Generation Company Limited is one of the largest beverage suppliers in Vietnam, with 26 years of experience in production and export. FGC is equipped with modern machines such as Hotfill PET and TetraPak, ensuring high-capacity production. FGC strives to achieve our mission to become Vietnam’s leading healthy beverage company. Our factories also meet international standards such as ISO, HACCP, etc. In addition, we constantly innovate our machinery system, strengthen production capacity, and increase productivity.

FGC also provides Private Label Services. With this service, we can help customers research and formulate beverages, design product label packaging, and create their own brands. This is an ideal solution for small and medium enterprises. Moreover, FGC provides free samples for customers to test before bulk orders. We also ensure delivery as fast as possible.