Pumps Used for Food & Beverage Manufacturing

Pump Uses for the Food & Beverage Industry

Across processing, packaging, and CIP/SIP, food and beverage pumps (sometimes called food pumps or food processing pumps) must deliver consistent flow while protecting product integrity and meeting hygiene standards.

Common use cases for food industry pumps and beverage pumps include:

• Ingredient transfer: Milk, juices, syrups, oils, water, and brines from storage to blending tanks.
• Metering & dosing: Enzymes, flavors, acids/alkalis, yeast, and preservatives with tight accuracy.
• Viscous & shear-sensitive handling: Sauces, pastes, purees, yogurt, creams, and batters without damaging texture.
• Solids in suspension: Fruit pieces, curds, and particulates that require gentle, low-shear movement.
• Filling & packaging: Consistent, pulse-controlled delivery to fillers and depositors.
• CIP/SIP & sanitation: Hot caustics, sanitizers, and rinse water with materials that withstand harsh chemistries and temperatures.

Selecting the right pump allows for a sanitary design, cleanability, and reliable operation to reduce contamination risk, minimize downtime, and lower total cost of ownership.

Types of Pumps for the Food & Beverage Manufacturing Industry

Centrifugal pumps

Centrifugal pumps are one of the most common types of pumps used in the food and beverage manufacturing industry. They are typically used for transferring liquids from one location to another. Centrifugal pumps work by using an impeller to create a centrifugal force that moves the liquid through the pump. In addition to product transfer, centrifugal pumps are also used in non-product utilities such as washdown, cooling, and boiler feed services. Centrifugal pumps are ideal for moving water, broths, brines, and CIP return loops. Sanitary variants feature open impellers and easy drainability for fast cleaning.

Air-operated double diaphragm pumps

Food grade diaphragm pumps are often used for transferring viscous materials, such as food products and liquids. Air-operated double diaphragm pumps work by using air to power the pump and excel at intermittent transfer and unloading totes/drums. Self-priming, run-dry tolerant, and simple to maintain, they are great for flexible production areas.

Peristaltic hose pumps

Peristaltic hose pumps work by using a series of rollers to compress and move a hose that is filled with fluid. With the product only touching the hose, it minimizes contamination risk. Gentle, low-shear action protects texture in yogurt, fruit sauces, and slurries while delivering accurate dosing.

Progressing cavity pumps

These pumps provide steady, low-pulsation flow for thick, fragile, sticky products such as tomato paste, nut butters, or cream fillings. Cavity pumps use a rotor to move the fluid through a series of progressing cavities. They are excellent for long runs and precise depositing without product damage.

Positive displacement pumps

Positive displacement pumps move a fixed volume per cycle, ensuring accurate dosing. Common PD designs in food and beverage include reciprocating (piston, diaphragm or plunger), lobe, gear, and progressing cavity pumps, depending on viscosity and shear sensitivity.

Lobe pumps

Lobe pumps have sanitary mechanical seals and stainless-steel casing and lobes, and are efficient, reliable, and sanitary, making them an excellent choice for the food and beverage industry. Depending on the design, they can handle viscous liquids, fragile solids, and mixtures of air and liquid. These pumps are common in dairy and beverage applications, especially near fillers where cleanability and gentle handling are important.

Sealless pumps

A fairly new product, Innomag is a sealless, magnetically driven, and non-metallic pump that is available in a high-purity, chemically resistant configuration, making it ideal for the pharmaceutical and food processing industries. The pump is built with a one-piece composite shell and is carbon fiber reinforced for superior leak protection. It uses a mag-drive pump and the first fully thrust-balanced pump so it can handle solids with ease. It provides safety and performance, and easy maintenance for numerous applications.

How to Choose the Right Pump for Your Application

Choosing pumps for the food and beverage industry applications isn’t just about moving fluid from point A to point B, it’s about protecting product quality, meeting hygiene standards, and controlling total cost of ownership. The right choice aligns the physics of your products with your process requirements and the compliance rules of your plant.

When choosing a pump, consider these factors and needs:

• Media & compatibility: Consider pH, abrasiveness, temperature, and chemical exposure (CIP/SIP). Select 316L SS and FDA-compliant elastomers as needed.
• Viscosity & solids: Determine pump technology (centrifugal vs. positive displacement) and rotor/impeller style.
• Flow, pressure, and head: Define motor sizing and control strategy. Consider net positive suction head (NPSH) and suction conditions.
• Shear sensitivity: Choose gentle-handling options (peristaltic, lobe, progressing cavity) to protect texture and inclusion integrity.
• Cleanability: Design for CIP/SIP, drainability, and minimal dead legs. Review key sanitary food pump features.
• Seal strategy & containment: Consider mechanical seal vs. sealless for hazardous or high-value media.
• Controls & integration: Pair with variable frequency drives, flow/pressure feedback, and line interlocks for accuracy and energy savings.
• Lifecycle & service: Consider access to parts, maintenance, and partner support that can affect uptime and TCO.

Need assistance in determining the right pump? OTC’s engineers can help specify process pumps for food industry needs, validate materials, and ensure your selection aligns with safety, efficiency, and compliance.

Explore more guidance on selecting a pump for food processing.

Contact OTC for the Best Food & Beverage Pumps

Selecting the right food transfer pumps and sanitary food pumps impacts product quality, line efficiency, and operating costs. From application engineering to start-up and maintenance, OTC supports end-to-end industrial pumps for food and beverage applications.

Ready to get started? Browse our selection of pumps or contact our team to discuss your needs and get a recommendation tailored to your operations.