The soft drinks sector is one of the fastest growing, most innovative and rapidly changing areas of the food and drink industry. From high energy to no/low sugar, functional to long life, carbonated or still, soft drinks and their associated preservative and packaging systems have their own microbiological issues. Soft Drinks Microbiology will give an overview of the types of microorganisms found in various soft drink categories and the problems that they can cause. The range of microorganisms that have been isolated from soft drinks and associated products is surprising. Many have adapted to growing in the unusual environment within a beverage factory and can be extremely difficult to remove once established. The course will discuss their specific growth requirements, what damage can they cause, and how can we control them.