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Tea and milk tea beverages have unique production requirements. Learn about filling technology, sterilization methods, and equipment configuration for your tea drink production line.
Introduction
Tea is one of the world’s oldest beverages — but in recent years, it has become a global commercial phenomenon. From traditional bottled tea to bubble tea, the market is growing rapidly.
This article covers the key considerations for setting up a tea or milk tea filling line — from product characteristics to equipment selection.
1. Understanding Tea Beverage Characteristics
Liquid Tea (Pure / Flavored Tea)
pH typically 3.5–5.0
Heatsensitive — high temperatures can cause flavor degradation
Sensitive to oxygen — can cause color change and offflavors
May contain suspended particles (leaf particles, fruit pieces)
Often requires hot filling (85–95°C) for shelfstable products
Milk Tea (DairyBased Tea)
Contains milk powder or fresh milk
Higher viscosity (thicker than water or juice)
pH typically 5.5–6.5 (near neutral)
Higher fat content — requires homogenization
More prone to bacterial growth — requires UHT or pasteurization
Often requires CIP cleaning between batches
Key difference: Milk tea is a dairy product, which means it requires higher hygiene standards, specialized processing equipment, and more frequent cleaning.
2. Filling Technology Options
| Technology | Best for | Temperature | Key Features |
| Hot Fill | Pure tea, flavored tea | 85–95°C | Sterilizes product and bottle; requires heatresistant PET bottles |
| Ambient Fill | Tea with preservatives or low pH | Room temperature | Simpler equipment; requires preservatives or sterile conditions |
| Aseptic Fill | Milk tea, dairybased tea | Ambient (sterile) | Long shelf life without preservatives; higher investment |
| UHT + Aseptic | Milk tea (ambient shelfstable) | 135–145°C (UHT) | Best quality retention; requires aseptic filling |
Recommendation:
For pure tea – hot fill (85–95°C) is the most common and costeffective choice.
For milk tea – UHT sterilization + aseptic filling is recommended for ambient shelfstable products. For shortshelflife refrigerated products, pasteurization + ambient filling may be sufficient.
3. Processing Equipment for Tea Drinks
Liquid Tea (Pure / Flavored Tea)
Processing flow:
Water treatment → RO system for blending water
Tea extraction or infusion → Extract from tea leaves or dissolve instant tea powder
Filtration → Remove particles (depending on clarity requirement)
Sweetening / Flavor blending → Sugar, flavors, acidulants
Deaeration → Remove dissolved oxygen to preserve color and flavor
Pasteurization / UHT sterilization → For shelf stability
Hot filling → 85–95°C
Bottle cooling → Cooling tunnel to bring temperature down
Milk Tea
Processing flow:
Water treatment → RO system
Milk powder reconstitution → Dissolve full cream milk powder (or use fresh milk)
Tea dissolving → Instant tea powder or concentrated tea extract
Sugar dissolving → Liquid sugar or syrup
Blending → Mix all ingredients in blending tank
Homogenization → Break down fat globules, smooth texture
Filtration → Remove any undissolved particles
UHT sterilization → 135–145°C, 4–6 seconds
Aseptic filling → Sterile environment
4. Key Equipment for Milk Tea Lines
| Equipment | Function | Recommended Spec |
| Water treatment | Purify water for blending | RO system, 2–10 T/H |
| Milk powder dissolving unit | Reconstitute milk from powder | Highshear mixer, 500–1000 kg/hr |
| Tea dissolving unit | Dissolve instant tea powder | Highshear mixer, 200–500 kg/hr |
| Sugar dissolving unit | Make liquid sugar syrup | 300–500 kg/hr, hot water injection |
| Blending tank | Mix all ingredients | 1,000–2,000 L, AISI 316, doublejacketed |
| Homogenizer | Break down fat, smooth texture | Twostage, 200–250 bar |
| UHT sterilizer | Sterilize product | Tubular, 135–145°C, 4–6 sec |
| Aseptic tank | Store sterilized product | 1,000–2,000 L, sterile HEPA filter |
| Aseptic filler | Fill under sterile conditions | PET bottle or can filler |
| CIP station | Clean equipment between batches | Twochannel system |
5. Packaging Considerations
PET Bottles
For hot fill: Heatresistant PET bottles with crystallized necks (required for 8595°C filling)
For aseptic fill: Standard PET bottles can be used
Bottle capacity: Typically 250ml, 330ml, 500ml, 1L
Aluminum Cans
Suitable for aseptic fill
Better oxygen barrier than PET
Premium image
Glass Bottles
Best oxygen barrier
Suitable for both hot fill and aseptic
Higher cost, higher weight
6. Cleaning and Sanitation
Milk tea lines require more intensive cleaning than pure tea lines due to dairy residues, which can cause bacterial growth and contamination between batches.
CIP recommended specifications:
Twochannel system (one for nonaseptic side, one for aseptic side)
Caustic wash (NaOH) – for milk protein removal
Acid wash (HNO₃) – for scale removal
Final hot water sterilization (>95°C)
Full PLC control and cycle recording
7. Quality Control Points
Incoming materials: Check milk powder quality, tea powder, sugar, packaging materials
During production: Monitor temperature, pressure, fill volume, and product pH
Finished product: Test microbial safety, flavor, color, and shelf life
8. About ALLFILLING
Zhangjiagang AllFilling Machinery Co., Ltd. has supplied complete tea and milk tea production lines to customers in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Our expertise includes:
Hot fill lines for tea and fruit drinks
UHT + aseptic lines for milk tea and dairy beverages
PET bottle blow molding machines
RO water treatment systems
CIP cleaning systems
All equipment is built with foodgrade SS304/SS316, Siemens PLC control, and CE certification. We offer full technical support, including process design, equipment supply, installation guidance, and operator training.
Ready to start your tea or milk tea project?
👉 Visit Zhangjiagang AllFilling Machinery Co., Ltd. at www.allfilling-machine.com
📧 Email: nancy@allfilling-machine.com
Keywords: tea filling line, milk tea production line, hot fill tea, UHT milk tea, aseptic filling, dairy beverage production, PET bottle filling, readytodrink tea
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