CDR DrinkLab: A New Approach to Beverage Quality Control

The beverage industry is evolving rapidly. Alongside traditional products such as beer, wine, and spirits, the market now includes soft drinks, fruit juices, teas, plant-based beverages, and fermented products like kefir. This diversification reflects consumer demand for healthier, sustainable, and functional options.

However, each beverage matrix has distinct chemical characteristics, production processes, and quality parameters. Ensuring safety, stability, and regulatory compliance has therefore become increasingly complex. Producers need tools that can provide fast, accurate, and reproducible analyses, not only in specialized laboratories but also directly on the production line

To meet these challenges, CDR has developed CDR DrinkLab, a compact and versatile chemical analysis system designed to simplify quality control across the beverage supply chain. Building on the proven philosophy of the CDR FOODLAB® line, it introduces:

• Simplified analytical methods
• Pre-filled, ready-to-use reagents
• Reduced need for glassware and hazardous solvents

Main Advantages

• Safety and sustainability: no carcinogenic reagents, reduced chemical waste, and minimal operator risk
• Speed and reliability: results in minutes, even for complex parameters
• Versatility: applicable to a wide range of matrices without infrastructure changes
• Accessibility: usable by non-specialized staff with intuitive procedures
• Adaptability: suitable for large brands, small producers, and research centers

Plant-Based Beverages

As demand for milk alternatives grows, their formulations - blends of plant extracts, oils, and stabilizers - require careful monitoring.
CDR DrinkLab enables analysis of:

• Sugars (nutraceutical value and labeling)
• Starch (digestibility and stability in oat or rice-based drinks)
• Lactic acid (to prevent unwanted fermentations)

Soft Drinks

High consumption and strict standardization make reproducibility crucial.
CDR DrinkLab measures:

• Total acidity and pH
• Organic acids (citric, malic, phosphoric)
• Caffeine levels
• Alcohol content in low- or no-alcohol beverages

Fruit Juices

Quality depends on raw material variability.
Key analyses include:

• Sugars and total acidity (stability indicators)
• Organic acids (citric, malic, lactic) for flavor and freshness

Kefir and Fermented Beverages

Dynamic fermentation requires constant monitoring.
Parameters include:

• Lactic acid (bacterial activity)
• Acetic acid (oxidation and flavor development)
• Malic acid (acid balance and spoilage risk)
• Residual sugars and alcohol (fermentation progress and stability)

Tea

Tea quality is linked to raw material composition and processing.
Currently available analysis:

• SO₂ for safety and shelf-life
  Future applications under study:
• Acid profile evaluation
• Bioactive compound determination

Water

As a base for many beverages, water requires consistency in its mineral profile.
CDR DrinkLab measures ions such as calcium, magnesium, and chloride, critical for both taste and label compliance

CDR DrinkLab is designed for both industrial facilities and craft producers:

• In industrial plants, it reduces response times and streamlines workflows.
• In craft production, it provides reliable data without costly infrastructure.

With pre-filled cuvettes, patented methods, and minimal reagent use, the system also supports sustainability goals, helping producers:

• Monitor batch consistency
• Ensure regulatory compliance
• Evaluate shelf-life and stability
• Accelerate new product development

The continuous transformation of the beverage sector requires analytical tools that are flexible, rapid, and safe.
CDR DrinkLab combines scientific precision, operational simplicity, and sustainability, enabling reliable quality control from plant-based drinks to soft drinks, juices, kefir, teas, and water.