What's Inside

Carbonated Soft Drinks

Soft drink production begins with the creation of flavored syrup using a closely-guarded company recipe. The syrup is mixed with water and then carbonated by adding carbon dioxide gas under pressure. This carbonation creates the "tingly fizz" that gives soft drinks a refreshing taste. As with other foods, ingredients used in soft drinks are approved and closely regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The ingredients used in soft drinks are found in a variety of foods. Ingredients may include:

Water: Soft drink production starts with a pure source of water. Regular soft drinks contain 90 percent water, while diet soft drinks may contain up to 99 percent water. Drinking water often includes trace amounts of various elements that affect its taste. Because of this, bottlers use sophisticated filtering and other treatment equipment to remove residual impurities and standardize the water used to make soft drinks.
Carbon Dioxide: When you open a soft drink bottle or can, the "pop" you hear and the "fizz" you see is the rapid escape of carbon dioxide gas caused by the sudden release of pressure on the beverage. Carbon dioxide, a colorless and odorless gas, is the essential characterizing ingredient in all carbonated beverages. It is given off when we breathe and is used by plants to produce oxygen. But when dissolved in water, carbon dioxide imparts a unique taste. Bottlers buy pure carbon dioxide as a compressed gas in high-pressure cylinders. Carbon dioxide gas is absorbed into the flavored soft drink in a carbonator machine just before the container is sealed.
Flavors: One of the most important ingredients in soft drinks is flavoring. Most soft drink bottlers mix many individual flavors to create distinctive tastes. Natural flavors in soft drinks come from spices, natural extracts and oils. Fruit-flavored soft drinks such as orange and lemon-lime often contain natural fruit extracts. Other flavors such as root beer and ginger ale contain flavorings made from herbs and spices. There are also some artificial or man-made flavorings used in soft drinks since some natural flavors are limited geographically, seasonally, or high demand.
Colors: Many people don't realize how important color is to taste perception. Color affects our psychological impression of food. If you don't believe it, try eating a familiar food in the dark. The colors used in foods and beverages come from both natural and synthetic sources.
Acidulants: Similar to fruit juices and many other food products, most soft drinks are slightly acidic. Acidulants add a pleasant tartness to soft drinks and act as a preservative. Some soft drinks contain a small amount of one or two common food acidulants - phosphoric acid and citric acid. Occasionally, other acidulants such as malic acid or tartaric acid are also used.
Preservatives: Soft drinks do not normally spoil because of their acidity and carbonation. However, storage conditions and storage time can sometimes impact taste and flavor. For this reason, some soft drinks contain small amounts of preservatives that are commonly used in many foods.
Potassium: Potassium is another essential nutrient found in many natural and man-made food ingredients. Like sodium, potassium exists naturally in drinking water and, therefore, soft drinks. Small amounts of potassium are also found in some of the flavoring agents and other ingredients used in soft drinks.
Sodium: Sodium, in the form of various salts, is present in many natural and man-made compounds. It is an essential mineral nutrient responsible for regulating and transferring body fluids, as well as other important body functions. Although an adequate daily intake of sodium is necessary for good health, excessive consumption has been tied to high blood pressure in some people. Soft drinks are not significant sources of sodium in the diet. In Soft drinks are classified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as "low" or "very low" sodium foods. Even people who are advised to restrict their intake of sodium by their doctor can usually drink and enjoy soft drinks with their doctor's approval. Sodium-free soft drinks are also available.
Regular (Non-Diet) Sweeteners: Most regular (non-diet) soft drinks are sweetened with either sucrose or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). A mixture of these sweeteners may also be used. Sucrose, the familiar sweetener in your sugar bowl, comes from sugarcane or sugar beets. HFCS is a liquid sweetener that is similar to sucrose, but made from corn. It is now used in many prepared foods. The amount of sweetener in a soft drink ranges from seven to 14%, about the same amount as a glass of pineapple or orange juice. Sometimes thought to be more fattening than other foods sugar actually contains the same number of calories by weight as protein (4 calories/gram), and less than half the calories of fat (9 calories/gram). Sugars also contain far fewer calories than alcohol (7 calories/gram).
Low-Calorie Sweeteners: Diet and low-calorie soft drinks are made possible by the use of low-calorie sweeteners. Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and acesulfame K are approved for use in soft drinks today, and sweeteners remain an active area of food research. By choosing from a variety of different sweeteners, manufacturers can blend sweeteners to match beverage formulations and better appeal to all consumer tastes and preferences. For more information on these sweeteners, check out the Sugar Substitutes section.