Analysis of Benzoate and Sorbate in Soft Drinks

Source: http://www.laboratorytalk.com/news/mea/mea254.html

Soft drinks have been part of our global lifestyle since the nineteenth century
and many of the soft drinks we consume today are the same as those first
enjoyed centuries ago
A preservative is a substance, such as sodium benzoate or potassium
sorbate, that enables soft drink products to have a longer shelf life by inhibiting
or arresting the growth of micro-organisms such as yeasts, moulds and
bacteria

The use of preservatives in soft drinks.

Not all soft drinks contain preservatives; their need is dependant upon
the type of product and the processing used. The presence of carbon dioxide
prevents mould growth and the high levels of acidity and carbonation help to
inhibit the growth of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria.

Conversely those beverages that contain fruit or fruit juices provide
additional nutrients that may enable organisms to grow despite the levels of
acidity and carbonation.

The soft drink products most likely to ferment are mildly acidic types
with low carbonation containing fruit juice and in these instances a
preservative is added to prevent micro-biological spoilage.

The most common preservatives used in soft drinks are sodium
benzoate and potassium sorbate and they may be used in tandem. Sodium
benzoate is the salt of benzoic acid and occurs naturally in the lingon berry,
while potassium sorbate is found in the rowan berry.

Sodium benzoate is effective against yeasts and moulds but can be
difficult to dissolve and can impart a slight flavour at high levels. Potassium
sorbate meanwhile is more effective at lower acidities than sodium benzoate
but is much more expensive and less effective against certain strains of
bacteria. In cold conditions its solubility is reduced and it can suppress the
flavour of the drink.

The use of preservatives in soft drinks throughout Europe is governed
by the EU Directive on food additives other than colours and sweeteners,
transposed to a national level for implementation by the individual member
states. In the United Kingdom, the legislation is covered under the
Miscellaneous Food Additive Regulations 95.


The ingredients in soft drinks.

The ingredients used in soft drink beverages are approved and closely
regulated by bodies such as the US Food and Drug Administration or the Food
Standards Agency in the UK.

There are an enormous number of soft drinks that are formulated to
different recipes and not all the ingredients are found in all soft drink products.
Most regular soft drinks contain around 90% of water from a pure source,
while diet variants may comprise up to 99% of water.

Drinking water can contain trace amounts of different minerals that can
affect its taste and so bottling and manufacturing plants use sophisticated
filtering and treatment equipment, to help remove residual impurities to
standardise the quality of water used to produce the beverage, to ensure the
same taste whether the drink is produced in the UK or Germany.

Carbon dioxide is an essential ingredient present in all carbonated
beverages and imparts a unique taste when dissolved in water. In the early
days of soft drink manufacturing, carbon dioxide was derived from sodium
salts giving rise to the term soda or soda water. Today, carbon dioxide gas is
absorbed into the flavoured soft drink with a carbonation machine just before
the container is sealed.

While under pressure and chilled, the soft drink can absorb up to four
times the beverage's volume of carbon dioxide. When the soft drink container
is opened, the 'pop' heard and 'fizz' observed is the rapid escape of carbon
dioxide caused by the sudden release of pressure on the product.

Many soft drink producers mix many individual flavours to create a
uniform, unique taste. Natural flavours come from spices, oils and natural
extracts while fruit flavoured beverages may contain natural fruit extracts.
Artificial flavourings are used when nature does not produce enough of certain
flavours to satisfy the global demand and some natural flavours may be limited
to geographical locations as well as seasonal fluctuations. Colourings are an
important factor in taste perception as it affects our psychological impression
of food and these may originate from both natural and synthetic sources.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance that is added to certain soft
drink beverages (particularly colas) as part of the flavour profile as its bitter
taste enhances other flavours.

Acidity regulators add tartness to soft drinks and help act as a
preservative and beverages may contain small amounts of either phosphoric
acid or citric acid.
Soft drinks should not normally spoil because of their acidity and
carbonation but storage conditions and time can impact the taste and flavour.
For this reason, some beverages contain small amounts of preservatives.

Most of the sodium and potassium present in soft drink products are
derived from the water used in production as well as trace amounts from other
ingredients present.

Regular soft drink beverages are sweetened with sucrose or fructose
and diet formulations with intensely sweet substances such as aspartame or
saccharin.

Manufacture of soft drinks.

The production of soft drink beverages begins by forming a sugar and
water syrup while around the same time an extract made up of fruit juice,
aromatic substances and acids is produced. The components are thoroughly
mixed into a soft drink concentrate to give a syrup mixture. The water is de-
aerated to avoid oxidation reactions that can destroy the aromatic substances.

For carbonated drinks, carbon dioxide is dissolved into the water at low
temperatures under high pressures. It is important that all the air has been
removed otherwise the beverage will froth over when the container is opened.
The syrup and carbonated water are then mixed in the correct proportions
according to their formulation prior to bottling, storage and then transportation
of the finished soft drink product to the consumer.