Soft drink inventions

The term “soda water” was coined in 1798. The soda fountain was patented by
Samuel Fahnestock in 1819, with the first bottled soda water available in 1835.
The first ice-cream soda was sold in 1874 in the US. The first cola-flavored
beverage was introduced in 1881. Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 in Atlanta,
Georgia by Dr. John S. Pemberton. Pepsi-Cola was invented by Caleb Bradham
12 years later. In 1929, the Howdy Company introduced its “Bib-Label Lithiated
Lemon-Lime Sodas,” which became 7 Up, which was invented by Charles Leiper
Grigg. Red Bull was introduced by Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz and Chaleo
Yoovidhya, from Thailand, in 1987. It is based on the Thai drink called Krating
Daeng which means red bull.

The first diet soft drink, called the “No-Cal Beverage” is launched in 1952.
Aluminum cans were introduced in 1957 and two years later the first diet cola
went on sale.

The pull-ring tab was invented in 1962 and the re-sealable top in 1965. Plastic
bottles were first used for soft drinks in 1970. The Polyethylene Terephthalate
bottle was introduced in 1973. The stay-on tab was invented in 1974

The Manufacturing
Process

Most soft drinks are made at local bottling and canning companies. Brand name
franchise companies grant licenses to bottlers to mix the soft drinks in strict
accordance to their secret formulas and their required manufacturing
procedures.

Clarifying the water

• 1 The quality of water is crucial to the success of a soft drink. Impurities,

such as suspended particles, organic matter, and bacteria, may degrade
taste and color. They are generally removed through the traditional
process of a series of coagulation, filtration, and chlorination. Coagulation
involves mixing a gelatinous precipitate, or floc (ferric sulphate or
aluminum sulphate), into the water. The floc absorbs suspended particles,
making them larger and more easily trapped by filters. During the
clarification process, alkalinity must be adjusted with an addition of lime
to reach the desired pH level.

Filtering, sterilizing, and dechlorinating the water

• 2 The clarified water is poured through a sand filter to remove fine

particles of floc. The water passes through a layer of sand and courser beds
of gravel to capture the particles.
• 3 Sterilization is necessary to destroy bacteria and organic compounds that
might spoil the water's taste or color. The water is pumped into a storage
tank and is dosed with a small amount of free chlorine. The chlorinated
water remains in the storage

tank for about two hours until the reaction is complete.

• 4 Next, an activated carbon filter dechlorinates the water and removes

residual organic matter, much like the sand filter. A vacuum pump de-
aerates the water before it passes into a dosing station.

Mixing the ingredients

• 5 The dissolved sugar and flavor concentrates are pumped into the dosing
station in a predetermined sequence according to their compatibility. The
 ingredients are conveyed into batch tanks where they are carefully mixed;
too much agitation can cause unwanted aeration. The syrup may be
sterilized while in the tanks, using ultraviolet radiation or flash
pasteurization, which involves quickly heating and cooling the mixture.
Fruit based syrups generally must be pasteurized.
• 6 The water and syrup are carefully combined by sophisticated machines,
called proportioners, which regulate the flow rates and ratios of the
liquids. The vessels are pressurized with carbon dioxide to prevent
aeration of the mixture.

Carbonating the beverage

• 7 Carbonation is generally added to the finished product, though it may be

mixed into the water at an earlier stage. The temperature of the liquid
must be carefully controlled since carbon dioxide solubility increases as
the liquid temperature decreases. Many carbonators are equipped with
their own cooling systems. The amount of carbon dioxide pressure used
depends on the type of soft drink. For instance, fruit drinks require far less
carbonation than mixer drinks, such as tonics, which are meant to be
diluted with other liquids. The beverage is slightly over-pressured with
carbon dioxide to facilitate the movement into storage tanks and
ultimately to the filler machine.

Filling and packaging

• 8 The finished product is transferred into bottles or cans at extremely high

flow rates. The containers are immediately sealed with pressure-resistant
closures, either tinplate or steel crowns with corrugated edges, twist offs,
or pull tabs.
• 9 Because soft drinks are generally cooled during the manufacturing
process, they must be brought to room temperature before labeling to
prevent condensation from ruining the labels. This is usually achieved by
spraying the containers with warm water and drying them. Labels are then
affixed to bottles to provide information about the brand, ingredients,
 shelf life, and safe use of the product. Most labels are made
of paper though some are made of a plastic film. Cans are generally pre-
printed with product information before the filling stage.
• 10 Finally, containers are packed into cartons or trays which are then
shipped in larger pallets or crates to distributors.

Quality Control

Soft drink manufacturers adhere to strict water quality standards for allowable
dissolved solids, alkalinity, chlorides, sulfates, iron, and aluminum. Not only is it
in the interest of public health, but clean water also facilitates the production
process and maintains consistency in flavor, color, and body. Microbiological and
other testing occur regularly. The National Soft Drink Association and other
agencies set standards for regulating the quality of sugar and other ingredients. If
soft drinks are produced with low-quality sugar, particles in the beverage will
spoil it, creating floc. To prevent such spoilage, sugar must be carefully handled
in dry, sanitized environments.

It is crucial for soft drink manufacturers to inspect raw materials before they are
mixed with other ingredients, because preservatives may not kill all bacteria. All
tanks, pumps, and containers are thoroughly sterilized and continuously
monitored. Cans, made of aluminum alloy or tin-coated low-carbon steel, are
lacquered internally to seal the metal and prevent corrosion from contact with
the beverage. Soft drink manufacturers also recommend specific storage
conditions to retailers to insure that the beverages do not spoil. The shelf life of
soft drinks is generally at least one year.

Recycling

The $27 billion dollar soft drink industry generated about 110 billion containers
each year in the early 1990s. About half of soft drink containers were aluminum
cans and the other half, about 35 billion, were PET plastic bottles. Nearly 60% of
all soft drink containers were recycled, the highest rate for any packaging in the
United States. Environmental concerns continued to lead to improvements and
innovations in packaging technology, including the development of refillable and
reusable containers.

The Future

In the 1990s there were more than 450 types of soft drinks on the market and
new flavors and sweeteners are developed all the time to meet market demands.
In the future, advanced technology will lead to greater efficiency of soft drink
production at all stages. New methods of water clarification, sterilization, and
pasteurization will improve production and minimize the need for preservatives
in soft drinks. Concerns with consumer health, safety, and the environment will
continue to have a positive impact on trends in the soft drink industry.

TOP 10 LEADING COMPANYS IN SOFT DRINKS

Beverage Digest/Maxwell Top-10 All Channel Carbonated

Soft Drink Companies/Brands

1998 1997 Share 98 Cases 97 Cases Volume 1997

Companies Share Share Change (Millions) (Millions) % Change Rank
1 Coca-Cola Co. 44.5 43.9 +0.6 4399.5 4208.6 +4.5 1
2 Pepsi-Cola Co. 31.4 30.9 +0.5 3100.2 2965.7 +4.5 2
3 Dr Pepper/Seven Up 14.4 14.5 -0.1 1423.9 1392.5 +2.3 3
4 Cott Corp. 2.7 3.2 -0.5 270.0 305.0 -11.5 4
5 National Beverage 2.0 2.0 flat 194.0 188.0 +3.2 5
6 Royal Crown 1.3 1.5 -0.2 126.1 148.4 -15.0 6
7 Monarch Co. 0.5 0.5 flat 46.0 51.9 -11.4 7
8 Big Red 0.3 0.3 flat 33.7 30.4 +10.9 8
9 Seagram's * 0.3 0.3 flat 28.0 26.5 +5.7 n/a *
10 Private label/other 2.6 2.8 -0.2 258.6 273.0 -5.3 10
Industry totals 100.0 100.0 9880.0 9590.0 +3.0

1998 1997 Share 98 Cases 97 Cases Volume 1997

Brands Share Share Change (Millions) (Millions) % Change Rank
1 Coke Classic 20.6 20.6 flat 2037.5 1978.2 +3.0 1
2 Pepsi-Cola 14.2 14.5 -0.3 1399.8 1391.5 +0.6 2
3 Diet Coke 8.6 8.5 +0.1 851.8 819.0 +4.0 3
4 Mt Dew 6.7 6.3 +0.4 665.1 605.2 +9.9 4
5 Sprite 6.6 6.2 +0.4 651.8 598.0 +9.0 5
 6 Dr Pepper 6.1 5.9 +0.2 599.4 566.8 +5.8 6
7 Diet Pepsi 5.4 5.5 -0.1 529.7 524.5 +1.0 7
8 7UP 2.1 2.3 -0.2 210.9 216.7 -2.7 8
9 CF Diet Coke 1.8 1.8 flat 179.7 172.8 +4.0 9
10 Minute Maid * 1.2 1.0 +0.2 121.5 93.6 +29.8 n/a *
* Not among top-10 companies or brands in 1997.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SOFT DRINKS

Sugary soft drinks (or Soda) - it's everywhere! Even if you wanted to drink
something else, you'd be hard-pressed to find it as prominently displayed at fast-
food chains, in vending machines, and supermarket checkouts. You might not realize
how ubiquitous Coke, Pepsi, and the like are in our society until you try to stop
drinking soft drinks.

Year after year, soft drinks have been popularized by persuasive and aggressive
advertising campaign run by beverage companies. The sweet taste of these fizzy
drinks is so tempting that they have become one of the largest single sources of
calories in the diet. Youngsters are getting too addicted to sodas, they may not say
complete no to them but they have to keep its consumption to bare minimum.
Addiction to any thing is too bad, even if it is to sodas. They have so many adverse
effects on health like:

• Weight Gain & Obesity: Drinking a single 330 ml can a day of sugary
drinks translates to more than 1 pound (0.45 kg) of weight gain every month.
The relationship between soft drink consumption and body weight is so strong
that researchers calculate that for each additional sugar-sweetened soft drink
consumed, the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times. According to researchers,
the likely reason for weight gain in people who consume calories in sugar-
sweetened beverages is failing to adequately reduce their intake of calories
from other sources.

• Sodas affect Kidneys: A three year study of over 1,000 men with a
history of kidney stones showed that there was a clear-cut difference in the
group's experiences, with much less renal colic in the men who had avoided
soft drinks. Soft drinks acidified with phosphoric acid were the worst
offenders. Colas of all kinds, of course, are well known for their high
phosphoric acid content.

• Dental Decay: A large number of soft drinks are acidic and some may
have a pH of 3 or even lower. The acidity can dissolve the mineral content of
the enamel, making the teeth weaker, more sensitive, and more susceptible
to decay. Drinking acidic drinks over a long period of time and continuous
sipping can therefore erode the tooth enamel. Drinking through a straw is
often advised by dentists as the drink is then swallowed from the back of the
mouth and does not come into contact with the teeth as much. Also, it is
suggested that brushing teeth right after drinking soft drinks should be
avoided as this can result in additional erosion to the teeth due to the
presence of acid.
 • Sodas affect Liver: According to a new Israeli medical study, drinking soft
drinks can cause damage to your liver. Scientists from Israel found that
people who drank a litre of fizzy drinks were five times more likely to develop
fatty liver disease. Even drinking a couple of cans of fizzy drinks a day raised
the risk of liver damage in addition to causing diabetes and heart damage.

• Can lead to Alzheimer: Soft drinks are extremely acidic, so much so that
they can eat through the liner of an aluminum can and leach aluminum from
the can if it sits on the shelf too long. Alzheimer patients who have been
autopsied, all have high levels of aluminum in their brains. Heavy metals in
the body can lead to many neurological and other diseases.

• Cause Sugar Crash: The high amounts of sugar in soft drinks cause your
pancreas to produce an abundance of insulin, which leads to a "sugar crash".
The "sugar crash" is evidenced by lethargy, loss of interest in work tasks and
even sleepiness. Chronic elevation and depletion of sugar and insulin can lead
to diabetes and other imbalance related diseases. This is particularly
disruptive to growing children which can lead to life-long health problems.

• Drops Potassium level in blood: It was found that people who drank 2
to 9 liters of cola a day experienced severe fatigue, appetite loss and also
persistent vomiting at times. This is mainly due to a condition known
as hypokalemia where there is a drop in the level of potassium in the blood.

• Weakened Bones and Risk of Osteoporosis: Frequent consumption of

soft drinks may also increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in people
who drink soft drinks instead of calcium-rich milk. High soda consumption in
children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing
bones. There is a statistically significant inverse relationship between
consumption of carbonated beverages and bone mineral density in young
girls, which places them at increased risk of suffering fractures in the future.

• No Nutritional Value: Unless fortified, soft drinks contain little to

no vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, or other essential nutrients. Soft drinks
may also displace other healthier choices in people's diets, such as water,
milk, and fruit juice.

• Increased Blood Pressure: Experts have reasons to believe that over

consumption of fructose (a form of sugar found in sweetened soft drinks)
leads to an increase in blood pressure.

• Increases Dehydration: Most soft drinks are diuretics, meaning they

squeeze liquids out of the body, thus worsening dehydration instead of
correcting it. A considerable amount of water is required just to process the
high levels of sugar in soft drinks. To replace what is stolen, you need to drink
8-12 glasses of water for every soft drink that you consume

Read more: http://www.lifemojo.com/lifestyle/harmful-effects-of-soft-drinks-soda-

3920349#ixzz0uyMg1Ooq