n the United States, 2024 retail dollar sales of craft beer increased 3%, to $28.8 billion, and now account for 24.7% of the $117 billion US beer market, according to the Brewers Association, which represents small and independent craft brewers. Of that multi-billion-dollar beer market, 79% of all beer was domestically produced in the US, and 21% was imported from more than 100 countries worldwide, according to the US Commerce Department.
With breweries now considered “food facilities” and subject to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s regulations, the industry’s focus has sharpened on safety. With that regulatory focus, disinfection systems based on the inactivation of germs, viruses, bacteria and mold spores through UV-C irradiation are gaining attention.
Nathan Ciara, technical sales engineer with Hoenle Americas, offered to answer questions for UV Solutions. Hoenle is a producer of UV discharge lamps, which emit a comparatively high proportion of short-wave, energy-rich UV radiation (UV-C), making them ideally suited for chemical-free germ reduction in caps and other packaging materials in the dairy processing and beverage industries, as well as for the disinfection of contact surfaces. Read More