The past two decades have witnessed more beverage processing changes than what occurred in the past 50 years overall. These changes have been created by several significant factors and many related issues in the industry. The increased competitive environment in all beverage categories continues to drive change within the industry.

A review of several categories substantiates the competitive factor, but further study shows that advanced processing technology and the continued entry of new products that require new capabilities also have driven the necessity for change and concern about processing and the costs involved.