Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Soft Drink shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Soft Drink offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Soft Drink at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Soft Drink? Wrong! If the Soft Drink is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Soft Drink then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Soft Drink? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Soft Drink and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Soft Drink wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Soft Drink then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Soft Drink site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Soft Drink, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Soft Drink, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

The term soft drink (more commonly known as soda, pop, or soda pop in parts of the United States and Canada, or fizzy drinks in the U.K.) refers to carbonation drinks that do not contain alcohol. The name "soft drink" specifies a lack of alcohol by way of contrast to the term "hard drink" and the term "drink", the latter of which is nominally neutral but often carries connotations of alcoholic content. Beverages like colas, sparkling water, lemonade, squash (drink), and fruit punch are among the most common types of soft drinks, while hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milk, tap water, alcohol, and milkshakes do not fall into this classification.

shelves.

Packaging In the United States, soft drinks are often sold in two-liter bottles, one liter plastic bottles, 24 and 20 US fluid ounce bottles, 12 US fluid ounce Beverage cans, and short 8 ounce cans. They are packaged in a variety of quantities such as six packs, 12 packs and cases of 24, 36, and 360. In Amsterdam, 1.5 liter bottles, 500 mL and 350 mL bottles and Beverage cans are more common. With the advent of energy drinks sold in 8 ounce cans in the USA, some soft drinks are now sold in similarly sized cans. It is also common for fizzy soft drinks to be served as fountain drinks in which carbonation is added to a concentrate immediately prior to serving. In Europe, various systems are in use: plastic and glass bottles of sizes 2, 1.5, 1, 0.5, 0.35, 0.33 liters and aluminum cans of 0.33, 0.35, and 0.25 liters. Several countries have standard recycled packaging with a forfeit such as 0.15 euro: the bottles are smelted and reused, cans are crushed and sold as scrap aluminum.

In Australia soft drinks are usually sold in 375mL Beverage can or glass or plastic bottles. Bottles are usually 390mL, 600mL, 1.25L or 2L. However, 1.5L bottles have more recently been used by the Coca-Cola Company.

Naming conventions Mixed soft drinks Many people mix soft drinks, usually from a soda fountain, to combine flavor. Nicknames have been given to this concept of mixing soft-drinks by those who do it, among them are suicide, graveyard, sewage, pop bomb, swamp water, tornado, kamikaze, garbage soda, hurricane, atomic bomb, splat or garbage can.

Floats A float is created by dropping a scoop of ice cream into a soft drink. In the mid-western United States, a soft drink with ice cream added is most often called an "ice cream soda," or soda, for short as they were made at soda fountains. In Australia and New Zealand, this is known as a Spider. In Scotland (Mainly West) this is sometimes referred to as an "iced drink" or an "ice-cream soda" (for example a "coke soda" or a "coke ice cream soda"). The most common of these is the Root beer float.

In Brazil, a scoop of ice cream into a soft drink may have different names:

In Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, there is a regional variation:Cola (regardless of brand) and vanilla ice cream constitute a "coke afloat".

In the U.S., some floats have specific names as a Black Cow, Brown Cow, or Purple Cow, which is vanilla or chocolate ice cream in root beer, or Boston Cooler, which is vanilla ice cream in Vernor's ginger ale.

==Controversy== Nutritional value Until the 1980s, soft drinks obtained nearly all of their food energy in the form of refined cane sugar or corn syrup. Today high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used exclusively as a sweetener because of its lower cost. However, HFCS has been criticized as having a number of detrimental effects on human health, such as promoting diabetes, hyperactivity, hypertension, and a host of other problems.

While the United States Department of Agriculture recommended daily allotment (Reference Daily Intake) of added sugars is 10 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet, many soft drinks contain more than this amount. Unless fortified, it also contains little to no vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, or other essential nutrients. Many soft drinks contain food additives such as food colouring, artificial flavouring, emulsifiers, and preservatives, which some consumers find objectionable. Some also argue that caffeine-containing soft drinks are not a valid source of dietary fluids because of the diuretic properties of caffeine; this is disputed.

Soft drinks may also displace other healthier choices in people's diets, such as water, milk, and fruit juice.

Studies showing a correlation between soft drinks and obesity A study from Harvard shows that soft drinks may be responsible for the doubling of obesity in children in the United States over the last 15 years.

From 1991 and 1995, adolescent boys in the US, on average, increased their intake of soft drinks from 345 mL to 570 mL. Most soft drinks are sweetened with sugar or corn syrup, and not artificial sweeteners. Dr. David Ludwig of the Boston Children's Hospital showed that school children drinking at least eight U.S. fluid ounces (240 mL) or more of regularly sweetened drinks daily will consume 835 calories (3,500 kilojoules) more than those avoiding soft drinks; i.e., children who drink soft drinks loaded with sugar tend to eat much more food than those who avoid soft drinks. Either those taking sugared drinks lack the same restraint on foods, or sugared drinks cause a rise in insulin that makes adolescents more hungry, causing them to eat more. Soft drinks (including diet food soft drinks) are also typically consumed with other high-calorie foods such as fast food. Children who drink soft drinks regularly are therefore fatter on average, in addition to being more likely to develop diabetes later in life (see below).Lancet 2001;357:505-08. "Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis"

This finding is controversial, because children in much of the Third World also consume large numbers of soft drinks with even more sugar, and do not share the same obesity rates as American children, suggesting that other factors are involved aside from sugar consumption in soft drinks. Suggested factors include physical activity, and the fact that American soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup instead of cane sugar.

In March 2006, Pediatrics (journal) published a paper Effects of Decreasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on Body Weight in Adolescents: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study. This suggests that reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages helped reduce body mass index in the heaviest teenagers. This was reported as drinking as a single 330ml can a day of sugary drinks translated to more than 1lb of weight gain every month. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2072059,00.html

Soft drinks linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes In 2004, an eight-year study of 50,000 nurses showed a correlation that suggests drinking one or more sugar-sweetened beverages (such as soft drinks and fruit punches) per day increases one's risk of developing diabetes by 80% versus those who drink less than one such drink per month. This finding was independent of other lifestyle factors. It concludes, "Higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a greater magnitude of weight gain and an increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes in women, possibly by providing excessive calories and large amounts of rapidly absorbable sugars." Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women JAMA. 2004 Aug 25;292(8):927-34..

Soft drinks and teeth A large number of soft drinks are acidic and some may have a pH of 3.0 or even lower.Drinking acidic drinks over a long period of time and continuous sipping can therefore erosion the tooth enamel. Drinking through a straw is often advised by Dentistry as the drink is then swallowed from the back of the mouth and does not come into contact with the teeth. It has also been suggested that Oral hygiene right after drinking soft drinks should be avoided as this can result in additional erosion to the teeth due to the presence of acid. M. A. Bassiouny, J. Yang, "Influence of drinking patterns of carbonated beverages on dental erosion",General Dentistry, May-June, vol. 53, no. 3, 2005.

Soft drinks and sleep According to one report, soft drinks with caffeine can disrupt children's sleep and leave them feeling tired during the day.BBC Fizzy drinks 'affect children's sleep' 8 January 2003

Soft drinks and bones There has been a hypothesis that the phosphoric acid contained in some soft drinks (colas) displaces calcium from the bones, lowering bone density of the skeleton and leading to conditions such as osteoporosis and very weak bones. However, calcium metabolism studies by leading calcium and bone expert Dr. Robert Heaney determined that the net effect of carbonated soft drinks, (including colas, which use phosphoric acid as the acidulant) on calcium retention was negligible. He concluded that it is likely that colas prominence in observational studies is due to their prominence in the marketplace, and that the real issue is that people who drink a lot of soft drinks also tend to have an overall diet that is low in calcium. (Source: Heaney RP, Rafferty K. Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001,74:;343-347.)

Banning In recent years, debate on whether soft drink vending machines should be allowed in school has been on the rise. Proponents believe that soft drinks are a significant contributor to childhood obesity and tooth decay, and that allowing soft drink sales in schools encourages children to believe they are safe to consume in moderate to large quantities. Proponents note that children are not always mature enough to understand the consequences of their own food choices, and should not be routinely exposed to the temptation of cheap, readily available soft drinks. They also argue that schools have a responsibility to look after the health of the children in their care, and that allowing children easy access to soft drinks violates that responsibility. Opponents believe that obesity is a complex issue and soft drinks are not the only cause. They also note the immense amount of funding soft drink sales bring to schools. Some people take the middle ground, saying that soft drink machines should be allowed in schools, but that they should not be the only option available. They propose that when soft drink vending machines are made available in school grounds, the schools should be required to provide children with a choice of alternative drinks (such as fruit juice, flavoured water and milk) at a comparable price. However, fruit drinks may contain as much sugar as the soft drinks they replace.

On 3 May 2006, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and the American Beverage Association announced new School Beverage Guidelines that will voluntarily remove high-calorie soft drinks from all US schools.

On 19 May 2006, UK Education Secretary Alan Johnson announced new minimum nutrition standards for school food. Amongst a wide range of measures, from September 2006, school lunches will be free from fizzy drinks. Schools will also end the sale of junk food (including fizzy drinks) in vending machines and tuck shops. See the Department for Education and Skills press notice for details.

In August 2006, after a controversial new report about the presence of pesticides in soft drinks sold in India, many state governments have issued a ban of the sale of soft drinks in schools. Kerala has issued a complete ban on the sale or manufacture of soft drinks altogether. In return, the soft drink companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi have issued ads in the media regarding the safety of consumption of the drinks. Since there is yet no enforcement of the agreed standards by Bureau of Indian Standards, the governing body to oversee the safety levels, in soft drinks in India, it is to be seen how this situation is to be resolved.BBC (Sanjoy Majumder) Indian state bans Pepsi and Coke 9 August 2006

Carcinogens in soft drinks Benzene is a known carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent. Major soft drink companies have had documentation of benzene contamination in soft drinks since at least 1990. It was originally thought that the contamination was caused by contaminated carbon dioxide, but research has shown that benzoates and ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid can react to produce benzene. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/1993/41/i05/f-pdf/f_jf00029a001.pdf?sessid=6006l3 Benzene production from decarboxylation of benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid and a transition-metal catalyst (Gardner & Lawrence, 1993).

In 2006, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency published the results of its survey of benzene levels in soft drinks survey of benzene levels in soft drinks, which tested 150 products and found that four contained benzene levels above the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water. The agency asked for these to be removed from sale.The United States Food and Drug Administration released its own test results of several soft drinks and beverages containing benzoates and ascorbic or erythorbic acid. Five tested beverages contained benzene levels above the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommended standard of 5 parts per billion. The Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/issues/toxics/20060404/index.php has uncovered additional FDA test results that showed the following results: Of 24 samples of diet soda tested between 1995 and 2001 for the presence of benzene, 19 (79 %) had amounts of benzene in excess of the federal tap water standard of 5 ppb. Average benzene levels were 19 ppb, about four times tap water standard. One sample contained 55 ppb of benzene, 11 fold tap water standards. Despite these findings, as of 2006, the FDA stated its belief that "the levels of benzene found in soft drinks and other beverages to date do not pose a safety concern for consumers" http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/benzqa.html.

Quinine, the bittering component of mixer drinks present at 60 to 80 ppm as the dihydrochloride or sulphate, undergoes photolytic degradation in strong sunlight through clear glass, typically with a half-life (i.e. time for 50% of the chemical to degrade) of 3.5 hours in strong sunlight. From its chemical structure the degradation product is suspected to be carcinogenic and is devoid of the bitter taste of quinine. For that reason quinine-containing drinks should never be stored in sunlight. Quinine is used as a bittering agent because of its clean bitter taste, devoid of any lingering after-effects. Other bittering agents are available such as quassia, also a natural product extracted from the Quassia Amara tree and sometimes used as a bittering agent in soft drinks. Its bitter attribute is exploited as a substitute for hops that provides the bitter flavour in beers (Dictionary of Science and Technology Academic Press 1992,p 1772).

Taxation The Center for Science in the Public Interest believes that a small tax on soft drinks may help curb consumption while raising money to fight obesity. (See fat tax) Opponents of this scheme believe this creates a conflict of interest for the government who collects these taxes, and may undermine their ability to reduce consumption of soft drinks. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15797

Alcohol content A report in October 2006 demonstrates that some soft drinks contain measurable amounts of alcohol. http://www.zaman.com/?bl=economy&alt=&hn=37342 In some older preparations, this resulted from natural fermentation used to build the carbonation. Modern drinks use introduced carbon dioxide but alcohol might result from fermentation of sugars in an unsterile environment. A small amount of alcohol is introduced to at least some soft drinks where alcohol is used in the preparation of the flavoring extracts.http://www.mail-archive.com/mymasjid@yahoogroups.com/msg00028.html The Turkish soft drink manufacturer whose product was listed as highest in alcohol in the October 2006 study noted that the naturally occurring alcohol level in Yoghurt is 1.5 times higher than that found in their soft drink. http://english.sabah.com.tr/AF9128D8A63B49A897868E88404D320D.html

History of soft drinks Soft drinks trace their history back to the mineral waters found in natural springs. Ancient societies believed that bathing in natural springs and/or drinking mineral waters could cure many diseases. Early scientists who studied mineral waters included Paracelsus, Robert Boyle, Friedrich Hoffmann, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, Hermann Boerhaave, William Brownrigg, Gabriel F. Venel, Joseph Black, and David Macbride.

The first marketed soft drinks (non-carbonated) appeared in the 17th century. They were made from water and lemon juice sweetened with honey. In 1676, the Compagnie des Limonadiers of Paris was granted a monopoly for the sale of lemonade soft drinks. Vendors carried tanks of lemonade on their backs and dispensed cups of the soft drink to thirsty Parisians.

Joseph Priestley and other scientists In the 1770s, scientists made important progress in replicating natural mineral waters. Englishman Joseph Priestley impregnated distilled water with carbon dioxide. Another Englishman, John Mervin Nooth, improved Priestley's design and sold his apparatus for commercial use in pharmacies. Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman invented a generating apparatus that made carbonated water from chalk by the use of sulfuric acid. Bergman's apparatus allowed imitation mineral water to be produced in large amounts.

Soda fountain pioneers Artificial mineral waters, usually called "soda water," and the soda fountain made the biggest splash in the United States. Beginning in 1806, Yale chemistry professor Benjamin Silliman sold soda waters in New Haven, Connecticut. He used a Nooth apparatus to produce his waters. Businessmen in Philadelphia and New York City also began selling soda water in the early 1800s. In the 1830s, John Matthews of New York City and John Lippincott of Philadelphia began manufacturing soda fountains. Both men were successful and built large factories for fabricating fountains.

Health properties of mineral water The drinking of either natural or artificial mineral water was considered a healthy practice. The American pharmacists selling mineral waters began to add herbs and chemicals to unflavored mineral water. They used birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, fruit extracts, and other substances. Flavorings were also added to improve the taste. Pharmacies with soda fountains became a popular part of American culture. Many Americans frequented the soda fountain on a daily basis. Due to problems in the U.S. glass industry, bottled drinks were a small portion of the market in the 19th century. Most soft drinks were dispensed and consumed at a soda fountain, usually in a drugstore or ice cream parlor. In the early 20th century, sales of bottled soda increased exponentially. In the second half of the 20th century, canned soft drinks became an important share of the market.

Soft drink bottling industry Over 1,500 U.S. patents were filed for either a cork, cap, or lid for the carbonated drink bottle tops during the early days of the bottling industry. Carbonated drink bottles are under a lot of pressure from the gas. Inventors were trying to find the best way to prevent the carbon dioxide or bubbles from escaping. In 1892, the "Crown Cork Bottle Seal" was patented by William Painter, a Baltimore machine shop operator. It was the first very successful method of keeping the bubbles in the bottle.

Automatic production of glass bottles In 1899, the first patent was issued for a glass-blowing machine for the automatic production of glass bottles. Earlier glass bottles had all been hand-blown. Four years later, the new bottle-blowing machine was in operation. It was first operated by the inventor, Michael Owens, an employee of Libby Glass Company. Within a few years, glass bottle production increased from 1,500 bottles a day to 57,000 bottles a day.

Hom-Paks and vending machines During the 1920s, the first "Hom-Paks" were invented. "Hom-Paks" are the familiar six-pack beverage carrying cartons made from cardboard. Automatic vending machines also began to appear in the 1920s. The soft drink had become an American mainstay.

References

External links

The term soft drink (more commonly known as soda, pop, or soda pop in parts of the United States and Canada, or fizzy drinks in the U.K.) refers to carbonation drinks that do not contain alcohol. The name "soft drink" specifies a lack of alcohol by way of contrast to the term "hard drink" and the term "drink", the latter of which is nominally neutral but often carries connotations of alcoholic content. Beverages like colas, sparkling water, lemonade, squash (drink), and fruit punch are among the most common types of soft drinks, while hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milk, tap water, alcohol, and milkshakes do not fall into this classification.

shelves.

Packaging In the United States, soft drinks are often sold in two-liter bottles, one liter plastic bottles, 24 and 20 US fluid ounce bottles, 12 US fluid ounce Beverage cans, and short 8 ounce cans. They are packaged in a variety of quantities such as six packs, 12 packs and cases of 24, 36, and 360. In Amsterdam, 1.5 liter bottles, 500 mL and 350 mL bottles and Beverage cans are more common. With the advent of energy drinks sold in 8 ounce cans in the USA, some soft drinks are now sold in similarly sized cans. It is also common for fizzy soft drinks to be served as fountain drinks in which carbonation is added to a concentrate immediately prior to serving. In Europe, various systems are in use: plastic and glass bottles of sizes 2, 1.5, 1, 0.5, 0.35, 0.33 liters and aluminum cans of 0.33, 0.35, and 0.25 liters. Several countries have standard recycled packaging with a forfeit such as 0.15 euro: the bottles are smelted and reused, cans are crushed and sold as scrap aluminum.

In Australia soft drinks are usually sold in 375mL Beverage can or glass or plastic bottles. Bottles are usually 390mL, 600mL, 1.25L or 2L. However, 1.5L bottles have more recently been used by the Coca-Cola Company.

Naming conventions Mixed soft drinks Many people mix soft drinks, usually from a soda fountain, to combine flavor. Nicknames have been given to this concept of mixing soft-drinks by those who do it, among them are suicide, graveyard, sewage, pop bomb, swamp water, tornado, kamikaze, garbage soda, hurricane, atomic bomb, splat or garbage can.

Floats A float is created by dropping a scoop of ice cream into a soft drink. In the mid-western United States, a soft drink with ice cream added is most often called an "ice cream soda," or soda, for short as they were made at soda fountains. In Australia and New Zealand, this is known as a Spider. In Scotland (Mainly West) this is sometimes referred to as an "iced drink" or an "ice-cream soda" (for example a "coke soda" or a "coke ice cream soda"). The most common of these is the Root beer float.

In Brazil, a scoop of ice cream into a soft drink may have different names:

In Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, there is a regional variation:Cola (regardless of brand) and vanilla ice cream constitute a "coke afloat".

In the U.S., some floats have specific names as a Black Cow, Brown Cow, or Purple Cow, which is vanilla or chocolate ice cream in root beer, or Boston Cooler, which is vanilla ice cream in Vernor's ginger ale.

==Controversy== Nutritional value Until the 1980s, soft drinks obtained nearly all of their food energy in the form of refined cane sugar or corn syrup. Today high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used exclusively as a sweetener because of its lower cost. However, HFCS has been criticized as having a number of detrimental effects on human health, such as promoting diabetes, hyperactivity, hypertension, and a host of other problems.

While the United States Department of Agriculture recommended daily allotment (Reference Daily Intake) of added sugars is 10 teaspoons for a 2,000-calorie diet, many soft drinks contain more than this amount. Unless fortified, it also contains little to no vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, or other essential nutrients. Many soft drinks contain food additives such as food colouring, artificial flavouring, emulsifiers, and preservatives, which some consumers find objectionable. Some also argue that caffeine-containing soft drinks are not a valid source of dietary fluids because of the diuretic properties of caffeine; this is disputed.

Soft drinks may also displace other healthier choices in people's diets, such as water, milk, and fruit juice.

Studies showing a correlation between soft drinks and obesity A study from Harvard shows that soft drinks may be responsible for the doubling of obesity in children in the United States over the last 15 years.

From 1991 and 1995, adolescent boys in the US, on average, increased their intake of soft drinks from 345 mL to 570 mL. Most soft drinks are sweetened with sugar or corn syrup, and not artificial sweeteners. Dr. David Ludwig of the Boston Children's Hospital showed that school children drinking at least eight U.S. fluid ounces (240 mL) or more of regularly sweetened drinks daily will consume 835 calories (3,500 kilojoules) more than those avoiding soft drinks; i.e., children who drink soft drinks loaded with sugar tend to eat much more food than those who avoid soft drinks. Either those taking sugared drinks lack the same restraint on foods, or sugared drinks cause a rise in insulin that makes adolescents more hungry, causing them to eat more. Soft drinks (including diet food soft drinks) are also typically consumed with other high-calorie foods such as fast food. Children who drink soft drinks regularly are therefore fatter on average, in addition to being more likely to develop diabetes later in life (see below).Lancet 2001;357:505-08. "Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis"

This finding is controversial, because children in much of the Third World also consume large numbers of soft drinks with even more sugar, and do not share the same obesity rates as American children, suggesting that other factors are involved aside from sugar consumption in soft drinks. Suggested factors include physical activity, and the fact that American soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup instead of cane sugar.

In March 2006, Pediatrics (journal) published a paper Effects of Decreasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on Body Weight in Adolescents: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study. This suggests that reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages helped reduce body mass index in the heaviest teenagers. This was reported as drinking as a single 330ml can a day of sugary drinks translated to more than 1lb of weight gain every month. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2072059,00.html

Soft drinks linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes In 2004, an eight-year study of 50,000 nurses showed a correlation that suggests drinking one or more sugar-sweetened beverages (such as soft drinks and fruit punches) per day increases one's risk of developing diabetes by 80% versus those who drink less than one such drink per month. This finding was independent of other lifestyle factors. It concludes, "Higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a greater magnitude of weight gain and an increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes in women, possibly by providing excessive calories and large amounts of rapidly absorbable sugars." Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC, Hu FB Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women JAMA. 2004 Aug 25;292(8):927-34..

Soft drinks and teeth A large number of soft drinks are acidic and some may have a pH of 3.0 or even lower.Drinking acidic drinks over a long period of time and continuous sipping can therefore erosion the tooth enamel. Drinking through a straw is often advised by Dentistry as the drink is then swallowed from the back of the mouth and does not come into contact with the teeth. It has also been suggested that Oral hygiene right after drinking soft drinks should be avoided as this can result in additional erosion to the teeth due to the presence of acid. M. A. Bassiouny, J. Yang, "Influence of drinking patterns of carbonated beverages on dental erosion",General Dentistry, May-June, vol. 53, no. 3, 2005.

Soft drinks and sleep According to one report, soft drinks with caffeine can disrupt children's sleep and leave them feeling tired during the day.BBC Fizzy drinks 'affect children's sleep' 8 January 2003

Soft drinks and bones There has been a hypothesis that the phosphoric acid contained in some soft drinks (colas) displaces calcium from the bones, lowering bone density of the skeleton and leading to conditions such as osteoporosis and very weak bones. However, calcium metabolism studies by leading calcium and bone expert Dr. Robert Heaney determined that the net effect of carbonated soft drinks, (including colas, which use phosphoric acid as the acidulant) on calcium retention was negligible. He concluded that it is likely that colas prominence in observational studies is due to their prominence in the marketplace, and that the real issue is that people who drink a lot of soft drinks also tend to have an overall diet that is low in calcium. (Source: Heaney RP, Rafferty K. Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001,74:;343-347.)

Banning In recent years, debate on whether soft drink vending machines should be allowed in school has been on the rise. Proponents believe that soft drinks are a significant contributor to childhood obesity and tooth decay, and that allowing soft drink sales in schools encourages children to believe they are safe to consume in moderate to large quantities. Proponents note that children are not always mature enough to understand the consequences of their own food choices, and should not be routinely exposed to the temptation of cheap, readily available soft drinks. They also argue that schools have a responsibility to look after the health of the children in their care, and that allowing children easy access to soft drinks violates that responsibility. Opponents believe that obesity is a complex issue and soft drinks are not the only cause. They also note the immense amount of funding soft drink sales bring to schools. Some people take the middle ground, saying that soft drink machines should be allowed in schools, but that they should not be the only option available. They propose that when soft drink vending machines are made available in school grounds, the schools should be required to provide children with a choice of alternative drinks (such as fruit juice, flavoured water and milk) at a comparable price. However, fruit drinks may contain as much sugar as the soft drinks they replace.

On 3 May 2006, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and the American Beverage Association announced new School Beverage Guidelines that will voluntarily remove high-calorie soft drinks from all US schools.

On 19 May 2006, UK Education Secretary Alan Johnson announced new minimum nutrition standards for school food. Amongst a wide range of measures, from September 2006, school lunches will be free from fizzy drinks. Schools will also end the sale of junk food (including fizzy drinks) in vending machines and tuck shops. See the Department for Education and Skills press notice for details.

In August 2006, after a controversial new report about the presence of pesticides in soft drinks sold in India, many state governments have issued a ban of the sale of soft drinks in schools. Kerala has issued a complete ban on the sale or manufacture of soft drinks altogether. In return, the soft drink companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi have issued ads in the media regarding the safety of consumption of the drinks. Since there is yet no enforcement of the agreed standards by Bureau of Indian Standards, the governing body to oversee the safety levels, in soft drinks in India, it is to be seen how this situation is to be resolved.BBC (Sanjoy Majumder) Indian state bans Pepsi and Coke 9 August 2006

Carcinogens in soft drinks Benzene is a known carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent. Major soft drink companies have had documentation of benzene contamination in soft drinks since at least 1990. It was originally thought that the contamination was caused by contaminated carbon dioxide, but research has shown that benzoates and ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid can react to produce benzene. http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/1993/41/i05/f-pdf/f_jf00029a001.pdf?sessid=6006l3 Benzene production from decarboxylation of benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid and a transition-metal catalyst (Gardner & Lawrence, 1993).

In 2006, the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency published the results of its survey of benzene levels in soft drinks survey of benzene levels in soft drinks, which tested 150 products and found that four contained benzene levels above the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking water. The agency asked for these to be removed from sale.The United States Food and Drug Administration released its own test results of several soft drinks and beverages containing benzoates and ascorbic or erythorbic acid. Five tested beverages contained benzene levels above the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommended standard of 5 parts per billion. The Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/issues/toxics/20060404/index.php has uncovered additional FDA test results that showed the following results: Of 24 samples of diet soda tested between 1995 and 2001 for the presence of benzene, 19 (79 %) had amounts of benzene in excess of the federal tap water standard of 5 ppb. Average benzene levels were 19 ppb, about four times tap water standard. One sample contained 55 ppb of benzene, 11 fold tap water standards. Despite these findings, as of 2006, the FDA stated its belief that "the levels of benzene found in soft drinks and other beverages to date do not pose a safety concern for consumers" http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/benzqa.html.

Quinine, the bittering component of mixer drinks present at 60 to 80 ppm as the dihydrochloride or sulphate, undergoes photolytic degradation in strong sunlight through clear glass, typically with a half-life (i.e. time for 50% of the chemical to degrade) of 3.5 hours in strong sunlight. From its chemical structure the degradation product is suspected to be carcinogenic and is devoid of the bitter taste of quinine. For that reason quinine-containing drinks should never be stored in sunlight. Quinine is used as a bittering agent because of its clean bitter taste, devoid of any lingering after-effects. Other bittering agents are available such as quassia, also a natural product extracted from the Quassia Amara tree and sometimes used as a bittering agent in soft drinks. Its bitter attribute is exploited as a substitute for hops that provides the bitter flavour in beers (Dictionary of Science and Technology Academic Press 1992,p 1772).

Taxation The Center for Science in the Public Interest believes that a small tax on soft drinks may help curb consumption while raising money to fight obesity. (See fat tax) Opponents of this scheme believe this creates a conflict of interest for the government who collects these taxes, and may undermine their ability to reduce consumption of soft drinks. http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15797

Alcohol content A report in October 2006 demonstrates that some soft drinks contain measurable amounts of alcohol. http://www.zaman.com/?bl=economy&alt=&hn=37342 In some older preparations, this resulted from natural fermentation used to build the carbonation. Modern drinks use introduced carbon dioxide but alcohol might result from fermentation of sugars in an unsterile environment. A small amount of alcohol is introduced to at least some soft drinks where alcohol is used in the preparation of the flavoring extracts.http://www.mail-archive.com/mymasjid@yahoogroups.com/msg00028.html The Turkish soft drink manufacturer whose product was listed as highest in alcohol in the October 2006 study noted that the naturally occurring alcohol level in Yoghurt is 1.5 times higher than that found in their soft drink. http://english.sabah.com.tr/AF9128D8A63B49A897868E88404D320D.html

History of soft drinks Soft drinks trace their history back to the mineral waters found in natural springs. Ancient societies believed that bathing in natural springs and/or drinking mineral waters could cure many diseases. Early scientists who studied mineral waters included Paracelsus, Robert Boyle, Friedrich Hoffmann, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, Hermann Boerhaave, William Brownrigg, Gabriel F. Venel, Joseph Black, and David Macbride.

The first marketed soft drinks (non-carbonated) appeared in the 17th century. They were made from water and lemon juice sweetened with honey. In 1676, the Compagnie des Limonadiers of Paris was granted a monopoly for the sale of lemonade soft drinks. Vendors carried tanks of lemonade on their backs and dispensed cups of the soft drink to thirsty Parisians.

Joseph Priestley and other scientists In the 1770s, scientists made important progress in replicating natural mineral waters. Englishman Joseph Priestley impregnated distilled water with carbon dioxide. Another Englishman, John Mervin Nooth, improved Priestley's design and sold his apparatus for commercial use in pharmacies. Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman invented a generating apparatus that made carbonated water from chalk by the use of sulfuric acid. Bergman's apparatus allowed imitation mineral water to be produced in large amounts.

Soda fountain pioneers Artificial mineral waters, usually called "soda water," and the soda fountain made the biggest splash in the United States. Beginning in 1806, Yale chemistry professor Benjamin Silliman sold soda waters in New Haven, Connecticut. He used a Nooth apparatus to produce his waters. Businessmen in Philadelphia and New York City also began selling soda water in the early 1800s. In the 1830s, John Matthews of New York City and John Lippincott of Philadelphia began manufacturing soda fountains. Both men were successful and built large factories for fabricating fountains.

Health properties of mineral water The drinking of either natural or artificial mineral water was considered a healthy practice. The American pharmacists selling mineral waters began to add herbs and chemicals to unflavored mineral water. They used birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, fruit extracts, and other substances. Flavorings were also added to improve the taste. Pharmacies with soda fountains became a popular part of American culture. Many Americans frequented the soda fountain on a daily basis. Due to problems in the U.S. glass industry, bottled drinks were a small portion of the market in the 19th century. Most soft drinks were dispensed and consumed at a soda fountain, usually in a drugstore or ice cream parlor. In the early 20th century, sales of bottled soda increased exponentially. In the second half of the 20th century, canned soft drinks became an important share of the market.

Soft drink bottling industry Over 1,500 U.S. patents were filed for either a cork, cap, or lid for the carbonated drink bottle tops during the early days of the bottling industry. Carbonated drink bottles are under a lot of pressure from the gas. Inventors were trying to find the best way to prevent the carbon dioxide or bubbles from escaping. In 1892, the "Crown Cork Bottle Seal" was patented by William Painter, a Baltimore machine shop operator. It was the first very successful method of keeping the bubbles in the bottle.

Automatic production of glass bottles In 1899, the first patent was issued for a glass-blowing machine for the automatic production of glass bottles. Earlier glass bottles had all been hand-blown. Four years later, the new bottle-blowing machine was in operation. It was first operated by the inventor, Michael Owens, an employee of Libby Glass Company. Within a few years, glass bottle production increased from 1,500 bottles a day to 57,000 bottles a day.

Hom-Paks and vending machines During the 1920s, the first "Hom-Paks" were invented. "Hom-Paks" are the familiar six-pack beverage carrying cartons made from cardboard. Automatic vending machines also began to appear in the 1920s. The soft drink had become an American mainstay.

References

External links



Soft Drinks International
Covers the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of soft drinks, fruit juices, and bottled water. Published monthly in Europe and distributed to over seventy countries.

Homepage | Britvic soft drinks report 2008
Journalists media library. Access press releases; report image downloads and PDF versions of the Britvic SDR report 2008. Visit our media library

Introduction and summary | Britvic soft drinks report 2008
Last year we really saw why soft drinks are classed as “fast-moving” consumer goods. Ours has always been a fast-paced industry: we face continuous, rapid change driven by ...

Britvic
With great brands like Robinsons, Tango, Pepsi and of course the Britvic brand, Britvic Soft Drinks is one of the two leading soft drinks businesses in Great Britain and Ireland

British Soft Drinks Association
British Soft Drinks Association Home Page ... Welcome to the web site of the British Soft Drinks Association, your key guide to the soft drinks industry in the UK.

Soft drinks - Morrisons
Delicious cocktails don’t have to be alcoholic. Whether you’re catering for a guest who is driving home or you simply feel like something lighter, here are a few recipe ideas ...

Soft Drink Distributors in Ireland, Begley's Soft Drinks
Welcome. Begleys are soft drinks distributors based in Limerick in the Mid-West of Ireland.

Soft drink - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A soft drink is a beverage that does not contain alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda, pop, or soda pop, in the United States, soda or pop in Canada, coke in ...

Beverage Industry research, Soft Drinks Industry Analysis, Company ...
Soft Drinks Industry Analysis, Beverage Industry research, Company Profiles and Statistics ... Euromonitor International's soft drinks statistics and analysis provides insight into ...

Cabana Soft Drinks
Cabana Soft Drinks - Cabana is the UK's largest independent supplier of dispensed soft drinks ... Welcome to Cabana Soft Drinks . Cabana is the UK's largest independent supplier of ...

 

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