Soft drinks branding

The soft drink industry is dominated by two key players. The Coca-Cola Company and Pepsico. These two companies produce eight of the ten top soft drink brands and comprise over 72% of the soft drink market in the United States (Figs. 2 and 3). 

Colas represent the largest segment of the U.S. soft drink market followed by lemon—lime brands. Pepper-type, juice-based, toot beer, and orange flavored soft drinks represent two to five percent of the total soft drink market (Fig. 4). Diet and caffeine-free categories represent the fastest growing segments of the market. 

As explained in Chapter 2, it can be argued that the concept of the commercial brand was first used successfully to sell NP-rich products, especially cigarettes and soft drinks. 

The basic patent coverage for use of xylose isomerase to convert glucose to fructose was lost in 1975 as the result of a civil action suit between CPC International and Standard Brands. Tins enabled development of alternate processes. By 1978. the estimated US production volume was 3.5 x 109 lb and consisted mostly ot syrups containing 42% D-fructose sold at a 71 % solids level (Antrim et al.). The introduction of large scale liquid chromatographic purification of the fructose enabled production of a 55% fructose which could be used in soft drinks in place of invert from sucrose. 

The market for carbonated soft drinks is dominated by two giant brands of cola drinks that, together with their associated brand names, account for just over half the world s consumption of such products. 

To date, the use of sucralose in soft drinks in the markets in which it is approved has been relatively limited. There have been a number of launches in the United States involving small- to medium-sized brands. In the United Kingdom, at the time of writing, there are only a handful of relatively minor soft drinks that have converted to sucralose. 

Tate and Lyle Pic (2002) Splenda. Brand Sweetener in Soft Drinks 2002 Technical Bulletin, Tate and Lyle Sweetener, Reading, UK. 

If a formulation uses high-intensity sweeteners, preservatives or colours, it is critical to ensure that the levels of these materials in the product do not exceed the statutory limits. Although the fortification of some products has been common practice for many years, the addition of vitamins to soft drinks has only recently become common. In the United Kingdom, this is likely to be attributable in part to the phenomenally successful launch of the Sunny Delight brand, which has prompted the launch of a wide range of me too products. Here again there is an analytical need to ensure that the vitamin levels claimed on the label ar e met at the end of shelf life. 

Protein-fortified soft drinks have been developed and marketed but there are no mainstream brands currently successful in the world. Generally the protein source used is dairy based usually whey or skimmed milk. Great care must be taken to prevent precipitation as the protein is acidified through its isoelectric point to a microbiologically safe pH and it is necessary to use stabilisers for long-term cloud stability. 

The sweetener aspartame was discovered in 1965 and approved by the FDA in 1981. It is the methyl ester of a dipeptide formed from the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Because both of these amino acids occur naturally and arc part of nearly every protein, there is much less reason to be concerned about the health effects of this compound. Nevertheless, it has been extensively tested. Aspartame is about 180 times sweeter than sucrose, so the amount that is needed to sweeten a can of a soft drink, for example, is so small that it contributes only negligible calories to the diet. In addition, the taste profile of aspartame is much closer to sugar than is that of saccharin. Aspartame, sold under the brand name NutraSweet, has been an enormous financial success. Sucralose (Splenda) is prepared from sucrose by replacing some of the hydroxy groups with chlorines. Its taste closely resembles sucrose, but it is about 600 times sweeter. Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One) is about 200 times sweeter than sucrose. It is quite stable to heat, so it is potentially very useful in baked goods. 

This experiment is carried out using a Waters Sep-Pak Classic CIS solid-phase extraction cartridge. A kit containing two S Pak Classic CIS cartridges, one envelope of Kool-Aid-brand unsweetened soft drink mix, and a detailed instruction sheet can be ordered from Waters Corporation under the part number WAT0SS2S3. In addition to the kit, you need a 10-mL syringe (with gradation and without needle), a container with a capacity of 2 L, two 2ft-mL beakers, at least four test tubes, and one bottle with 70% isopropanol and about 3 L water. 

The same approach has been extended to the successful identification of commercial soft drinks. The selectivity toward different ions can be modulated by changing the nature of the mming-on chromophores, so realizing a system for useful application for discriminating between different mineral water brands [49]. 

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that s 200 times as sweet as sucrose, and was discovered in 1965 and was first sold under the brand name Nutrasweet. It s often used in soft drinks or cereals and chewing gum, but because it is a peptide, it can hydrolyze back to its constituent amino acids at high temperatures. As such, it s not generally used in cooking or baking. 

The Japanese market is the most established by far. It consists largely of health and functional drinks in small bottles, although more recently lines are starting to appear in standard soft drinks packaging. Many of the brands on the market target gut health through the use of prebiotics and dietary fibre. Bone health is also a major focus, using various calcium sources in combination with promoters of calcium absorption such as calcium citrate malate. 

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