Ingredients

Other Beverage Ingredients

As with other foods, soft drink beverage ingredients are approved and closely regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In fact, all ingredients used in soft drinks are found in a variety of foods.

Other ingredients 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. You have probably noticed that tap water tastes different in various regions of the country. Because of this, bottlers use sophisticated filtering and other treatment equipment to remove residual impurities and standardize the water used to make soft drinks. That's why your favorite soft drink tastes the same in New York as it does in Texas or California.

Carbon Dioxide

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. For that reason natural sources of carbonated or effervescent mineral waters were once highly prized. These rare mineral waters were believed to have beneficial medicinal properties. Efforts to make and sell "artificial effervescent mineral water" were well underway in Europe and the U.S. by 1800.

The innovative step of adding flavors to these popular "soda waters" gave birth to the soft drink beverages we enjoy today. In the early days of soft drink manufacturing, carbon dioxide was made from sodium salts and carbonated beverages became known as "sodas" or "soda water."

Today, 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. While under pressure and chilled, the soft drink may absorb up to four times the beverage volume of 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.

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. Nature does not produce enough of some flavors to satisfy world demand. Also, some natural flavors are limited geographically and seasonally.

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

Soft drinks are not significant sources of sodium in the diet. In fact, the local drinking water supply used in making soft drinks contributes most or all of the sodium. Small amounts of sodium in some soft drinks can also come from certain ingredients.

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.

Because the names "soda pop" and "soda water" were associated with early soft drinks, many people falsely believe that carbonated beverages contain significant amounts of sodium. This is not true.

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 linked to high blood pressure in some people.