Kind of Cold Drinks

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our Cold Coffee Drink Directory! Often know as Iced Coffee.

What is Iced Coffee?

Strong sweetened coffee served over ice with cream.

Creamy Coffee

Coffee Frape

Frosted Black Coffee

Frozen Coffee Drink

Iced Mochaccino

Cold Coffee Nog

Coffee Soda

Iced Chocolate Latte

Iced Cappuccino

Iced Coffee

Iced Espresso

Mocha Cooler

Mint Mocha Frapachino

Kahlua Coffee

Sassy Sodas

ICED CHOCOLATE LATTE

A tall glass filled with ice

4-5 oz. Of double brewed coffee

2 tbsp. Sugar

a good long squirt of chocolate syrup

1/4-1/2 cup of whole milk (as much or as little as you like)

whipped cream (optional)

cinnamon (optional)

Start with making some strong coffee by brewing 6-7 oz. of coffee and then pouring it back into your coffee maker and brewing it again. This may not be good for some coffee makers. You will loose some water in the process, producing 4-5 oz. of coffee. I recommend French Vanilla or Crème Brùlèe for the coffee flavors. Add the sugar, syrup, and the milk to the coffee; stir well. (I find that this order works best.) Poor the coffee over the ice in a tall glass and top with whipped cream or foamed milk; lastly, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top.

ICED CAPPUCCINO

Fill a glass with ice

2 oz. espresso

6 oz. steamed milk

whipped cream, optional

Fill the glass with ice, add steamed milk and pour espresso gently down the side of the glass. Top with whipped cream if desired

ICED COFFEE

Brew double strength - using twice as much coffee or half as much water. This allows for the heat of the coffee melting the ice cubes. African coffees are really good iced!

Iced Espresso

Fill a glass with ice

2 oz. espresso

1 oz. Chocolate Syrup

1 oz. half-and-half or milk

non-flavored soda water

whipped cream, optional

Fill the glass with ice, add syrup, soda water and half-and-half or milk. Stir to combine flavors. Top with whipped cream if desired.

Iced Mochaccino

Fill a glass with ice

2 oz. espresso

1 oz. Chocolate Syrup

5 oz. steamed milk

whipped cream, optional

Fill the glass with ice, add steamed milk. Mix espresso with syrup and pour gently down the side of the glass. Top with whipped cream if desired.

MOCHA COOLER

In a 12 oz glass, put 3 or 4 Ice cubes, a shot of 1/2 and 1/2, or low fat milk if you want to cut down on the fat. Two heaping tablespoons of No Sugar Added NesQuick and fill glass with room temp coffee. A splash of Kahlua is nice. Some vodka also, if you like. Stir gently and enjoy.

MINT MOCHA FRAPACHINO

1/2 cup double brewed coffee plain or mocha coffee

2-3 cups crushed ice

1 cup milk

2-3 squirts of chocolate syrup

3 small mint patties (like a york peppermint patty)

1tbs sugar

Make your coffee, with the sugar in it, put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Put the peppermint patties in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds, you'll now have a chocolate goo, put about 4-5 tbs of milk in the goo, and mix it together, put it back in the microwave for another 10 seconds. Now take the liquid part and pour it into the chilled coffee.

Take your coffee and pour into a blender along with the milk, chocolate syrup, and ice, and blend till smooth.


ICED KAHLUA COFFEE

8 Cups Coffee, Brewed and cooled to room temp.

1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup Kahlua or Coffee Liqueur

2 Cups Half-And-Half

4 Cups Ice Cubes

In a large pitcher mix 4 cups coffee with sweetened condensed milk, then add remaining ingredients except for ice. Fill individual stemmed glasses with ice and serve with whipped cream if desired.

Serves 8

SASSY SODAS

I pint coffee ice cream

2 tablespoons finely ground coffee

1/2 cup light rum

4 to 6 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Instant coffee powder

Spoon coffee ice cream into a blender. Add rum & coffee that has been finely ground to a powdery texture. Blend on hight speed until creamy smooth. Pour into tall glasses, adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each glass. Sprinkle lightly with instant coffee powder. Serve with a long-handled spoon & soda straw.

Serves 4-6

CREAMY COFFEE

1/4 pint evaporated milk

Ice cubes

4 1/2 level teaspoons instant coffee

1 level tablespoon castor sugar

3 scoops vanilla ice cream

Make the evaporated milk up to 1/2 pint by adding ice cubes. Stir in 4 teaspoons instant coffee and the sugar and blend all in an electric blender until the ice is broken. Pour into glasses and top with ice cream. Sprinkle with the remaining instant coffee and serve at once. Makes 3 drinks.

FROSTED BLACK COFFEE

1/4 pint extra strong cold coffee

2 tablespoons cracked ice

1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

Pour the coffee into a cocktail shaker with the ice. Add the ice cream and shake vigorously. Pour into a tall glass and serve with a straw. Makes 1 drink.


COFFEE FRAPE

Ice cube tray of coffee concentrate

Favorite flavoured double-strength coffee brewed, and cooled. Sweeten as desired.

Cream or milk (optional)

Crush coffee cubes and add to individual glasses sweeten the brewed coffee if desired. Now pour brewed coffee over crushed ice.

FROZEN COFFEE DRINK

2 1/2 Cups Chopped Ice

2 Shots espresso

4 tablespoons of Chocolate (see recipe) 4 teaspoons Hershey's Cocoa Powder

3 teaspoons Vegetable Oil

3 teaspoons Sugar

1/4 cup sugar

Whipped Cream

2 Cups Milk

1/4 Cup half and half or 1/4 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Chocolate -

Mix all ingredients together, until the chocolate is thick, then refrigerate for a little while.

The Drink-

First, blend together the espresso, and the Milk. When that is well mixed, add the sugar, and let this blend for about a minute. Add in Justin's Chocolate, and blend for 2 minutes. Add in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and half and half or whipping cream. When this is semi-thick, add in the ice. Blend for 30 seconds, or until ice is well chopped up. Pour into glass, leaving about 1/2 inch from top. put whipped cream on top. Enjoy.

COFFEE SODA

1/2 cup coffee

Ice cubes

1/4 carbonated water or cola

Strip of lemon, lime, or orange peel

Pour coffee over ice and add carbonated water. Garnish.

Another COFFEE SODA

An interesting mix of rich creaminess and bubbly fizz.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups strong coffee, chilled

1 cup half & half

4 scoops coffee ice cream

3/4 cup club soda

1 tbs sugar

Whipped cream

PREPARATION:

Mix coffee, sugar and half & half. Fill 4 tall glasses about halfway. Add 1 scoop of ice cream to each, then fill up with soda. Top with whipped cream


Soda pop" redirects here. For the confectionery product, see Soda pop (confectionery).
The term "RUBBER DUCKY"originally applied to carbonated drinks and non-carbonated drinks made from concentrates, although it now commonly refers to almost any cold drink that does not contain alcohol. Beverages like colas, sparkling water, lemonade, and fruit punch are among the most common types of soft drinks, while hot chocolate, tea, coffee, milk and milkshakes do not fall into this classification.


Soft drinks on supermarket shelves.Contents [hide]
1 Fizzy drinks
2 Packaging
3 Naming conventions
3.1 Arab World
3.2 Australia and New Zealand
3.3 Brazil
3.4 Bulgaria
3.5 Canada
3.6 Chile
3.7 China
3.8 Colombia
3.9 Denmark
3.10 Dominican Republic
3.11 Ecuador
3.12 Egypt
3.13 Ethiopia
3.14 Finland
3.15 Germany
3.16 Greece
3.17 India
3.18 Ireland
3.19 Japan
3.20 Netherlands
3.21 Nigeria
3.22 Norway
3.23 Paraguay and Peru
3.24 Philippines
3.25 Portugal
3.26 Romania
3.27 Singapore
3.28 South Africa
3.29 Sweden
3.30 United Kingdom
3.31 United States
3.32 Venezuela
4 Mixed soft drinks
4.1 Floats
5 Controversy
5.1 Nutritional value
5.2 Studies showing a correlation between soft drinks and obesity
5.3 Soft drinks linked to weight gain and type 2 diabetes
5.4 Soft drinks and teeth
5.5 Soft drinks and sleep
5.6 Banning
5.7 Carcinogens in soft drinks
5.8 Taxation
5.9 Alcohol Content
6 References
7 External links



Fizzy drinks
Fizzy drinks (carbonated beverages) are produced by injecting carbon dioxide into the drink at a pressure of several atmospheres. Carbon dioxide dissolves readily at normal atmospheric pressure, particularly in cold beverages, but far more so at high pressure and large volumes of gas can be dissolved. When the pressure is released the carbon dioxide comes out of solution forming numerous bubbles and begins releasing the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. After many minutes most of the carbon dioxide has been released and the drink is said to be "flat".

The chemical phenomenon whereby carbonated drinks taste sharper is due to carbonic acid inducing a slight burning sensation, and is only indirectly related to the bubbles- both phenomena are caused by the carbonic acid concentration.

Carbonation can also be produced by partial fermentation in a sealed container. This is the method used in the production of ginger beer and by careful control, and use of appropriate yeasts, the alcohol level can be kept very low.


Packaging
In the US, soft drinks are often sold in two-liter bottles, one liter plastic bottles, 24 and 20 US fluid ounce bottles and in 12 US fluid ounce cans. They are packaged in a variety of quantities like six-packs, 12 packs and cases of 24. In Japan, 1.5 liter bottles, 500 mL and 350 mL bottles and 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 washed and reused, cans are crushed and sold as scrap aluminum.


Naming conventions

[edit] Arab World
In Arabic countries soft drinks are usually called either mashroob ghasi, meaning literally "gas drinks" (مشروبات غازية) for soda, or simply the word aseer or juice (عصير) for most other soft drinks that are served cool or cold. However, local dialects may differ.


Australia and New Zealand
"Soft drink" almost always refers to carbonated beverages. In some parts of Australia, the term "lolly water" was synonymous with "soft drink", but it now increasingly refers to bright-coloured alcoholic drinks which some claim are marketed at youth ("lolly water" is also rarely used in reference to wine variant). "Lemonade" is typically used only to refer to highly sweetened transparent carbonated beverages with a flavour similar to Coca-cola's Sprite, or PepsiCo's 7 Up. Lemon flavoured soft drinks are commonly referred to either as "lemon squash" or by brand name. In some parts of Australia and New Zealand, soft drink can be also referred to as "fizzy drinks". In the southern state of Tasmania, and some parts of New Zealand, soft drink is frequently referred to as "cordial". See also New Zealand.


Brazil
Soft drinks are called refrigerante in Brazil, literally meaning "cooler"; can be colloquially abbreviated as refri. Although there is the term soda, it refers specifically to lemon-lime soft drinks. Not for Coke or Pepsi, for instance.


Bulgaria
The Bulgarian name for soft drinks is газирани напитки (gazirani napitki) or simply газирано (gazirano, "something fizzy"). A colloquial word сода (soda) exists, but it is used to denote soda water.


Canada
"Pop" is the most commonly used term among English-Canadian speakers to refer to a carbonated soft drink – although "soft drink" itself is widely used, particularly on signage and menus. "Soda" is used less. "Soda pop" is used by some. Correspondents have reported that "drink" is common in Newfoundland instead of pop. In French, a soft drink is referred to as "une boisson gazeuse", or informally as "une liqueur" (likely a shortened form from the seldom-used "liqueur douce"). The use of "liqueur" in this fashion is distinctly Quebec French; in France, "liqueur" refers to a very specific set of aperitif and digestif alcoholic drinks.


Chile
Soft drinks are called bebida in Chile, generically meaning "drink". Alcoholic drinks are known as trago or called by its specific name (beer, wine, etc.)


China
In China, soft drinks are often called "gas/air water" (Simp. Chinese / Trad. Chinese 汽水), referring to carbonated drinks only. It is far more common to say the actual name of the drink (eg. Coke, bottled tea, etc.) than saying the generic term above.


Colombia
Soft drinks are called gaseosa (gassed drink) in Colombia, generically meaning "drink". Some usage of "refrescos" with similar meaning is reported. trago is used for alcoholic drinks.


Denmark
The Danish name for soft drinks is sodavand, which directly translated means soda water. The term sodavand is exclusively used for non-alcoholic, carbonated soft drinks like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Fanta. Also used is the term læskedrik (from læskende=refreshing/thirst-quenching and drik=drink), which includes all non-alcoholic soft drinks.


Dominican Republic
The term for non-alcoholic carbonated soft drinks is refresco in the Dominican Republic, which conveys the refreshing properties associated with a cold frizzy drink. In most of the cases, refresco means a sweet soft drink. Other carbonated drinks, like Club Soda, are called soda amarga or refresco amargo (bitter soda or bitter soft drink, respectively).


Ecuador
In Ecuador, soft drinks are commonly referred as cola, due to the popularity of the Coca Cola brand.


Egypt
Soda drinks are usually referred to as kazouza (كازوزة), or haga sa'a which literally means "something cold".


Ethiopia
Soft drinks are generally known in Ethiopia by the Amharic word "leslassa", meaning literally "smooth". The popular brand names "Koka" (Coke) and "Mirinda" (Orange Soda) are also in common parlance.


Finland
Soft drinks are called virvoitusjuoma, i.e. "refreshing drink", in Finland. In everyday speech, the word limonadi or one of its colloquial derivations is used (limukka, limska, limsa, limu). Sooda or soodavesi, "soda water", refers to carbonated water.


Germany
Soft drinks are known as Limo short for Limonade, the German word for lemonade, but in America lemonade is an uncarbonated beverage, made from lemon juice, sugar, and water; generally not considered a soft drink. Some regions also use Sprudel (from sprudeln=to be fizzy) or Brause (in eastern Germany) for carbonated non-alcoholic drinks. However, Fruchtschorle is one of the most popular soft drinks in Germany, but it is never called Limo since it contains no added sugar. Additionally, the word "Cola" is used to refer to any dark Coca-Cola-like beverage, regardless of brand.


Greece
In Greece, the term Gazoza is used to refer to clear lemon-lime soft drinks such as 7 Up or Sprite. This term, however, has become outdated.


India
Soft drinks go by a variety of names including "soft drinks", and most popular among the masses is the term "cold drinks". "Soda" in India refers generally to carbonated water and not artificially flavoured, carbonated beverages. One of the most popular is Coca-Cola's Thums Up brand. Currently (2006), all major carbonated drink companies are having a hard time in courts with various states banning them after a CSE report claimed Coca-Cola and Pepsi's drinks contain very high levels of pesticides.


Ireland
Soft drinks are often referred to as "minerals" or "fizzy drinks". Lemonade in Ireland comes in two varieties: red and white. Red lemonade is lemon-flavoured, but has a markedly different taste from conventional lemonade. It is popular both as a drink for kids and as a mixer for spirits.

Also indigenous to Ireland is Cidona, an apple-flavoured soft drink produced by cider brewers, Bulmers.


Japan

Suntory Bubble Man II: Soda Planet soft drink, available in Japan.Soft drinks in Japan are commonly referred to as "juice", and by younger generations as "drink", a shortened term for "PET-bottle drink". Non-carbonated drinks capture the majority of the soft drink market, and their main rivals are varieties of bottled green tea and tea. Canned and bottled coffee has an equally large market share, and the carbonated drink market is smaller, in contrast to other nations. Coca-Cola splits the carbonated market with Mitsuya Saidaa — a sweet, clear carbonated drink, and Pepsi lags behind these two, entering the market only in the 90s. Lime flavoured drinks (Mountain Dew and Sprite) hold almost no market share, or are marketed with only a touch of lime flavour. The official name for such drinks in documents and labels is Seiryo Inryo Sui (清涼飲料水) and those carbonated are called Tansan Inryo (炭酸飲料).


Netherlands
In the Dutch language, soft drinks are called frisdrank ('fresh drink') or abbreviated as fris, a word coined in 1956 by advertiser Dick Schiferli. Also prik, limonade or priklimonade is used, which not only refers to a soft drink made with lemon juice, but all soft drinks.


Nigeria
In the south east, soft drinks are called "mineral".


Norway
Carbonated soft drinks in Norway are called brus, which means "fizz". It is a truncated form of the now obsolete bruslimonade ("fizzy lemonade").


Paraguay and Peru
Soft drinks are called gaseosas in Paraguay and Peru. The name coca is also common in Paraguay.


Philippines
The term "soft drinks" (also rendered softdrinks) is restricted to colas.


Portugal
In Portugal, soft drinks are called refrigerante, which can be freely translated into "cooler".


Romania
Soft drinks are usually called băuturi răcoritoare, răcoritoare ('cooler/cooling drinks'), or just suc, but are also referred to as cico (after an old brand of local soft drink) or cola. Some claim that this name was made after the popular 'Coca-Cola', but in Romania, before 'Coca-Cola', there was 'Pepsi-Cola' and 'Quick-Cola'.


Singapore
Soft drinks generally refers to carbonated drinks in Singapore, although more they are commonly referred to by the actual product's name. Other names commonly used include 'gassy drink' and 'sweet drinks'.


South Africa
Soft drinks in South Africa are called cool drinks generically, although lemonade follows the same conventions as Australia.


Sweden
Soft drinks are called läsk which comes from läskande drycker ("refreshing" or "thirst-quenching drinks") and denotes carbonated non-alcoholic soft drinks. In northern Sweden, the word dricka (drink) is often used. The word lemonad has more or less the same use as the English word lemonade, but belongs to a slightly higher level of style than läsk. In Finland Swedish, lemonad is more common and refers to all kinds of carbonated soft drinks, läsk (or läskedryck) is also used. Many people, both Finnish and Swedish speakers, also use the word limsa (limonadi). In Swedish Donald Duck Comics there is a word called Läskeblask.


United Kingdom
The term "soft drink", in the United Kingdom, originally applied to carbonated drinks ("pop") and non-carbonated drinks made from concentrates ("squash"), although it now commonly refers to any drink that does not contain alcohol. To further confuse matters, alcopops are often called "alcoholic soft drinks".

The term "pop", once popular as a generic term for soft drinks is now mainly restricted to the north of England, and Wales. The term "fizzy drinks" is also used as a synonym for sweetened carbonated drinks. In the West of Scotland, soft drinks are commonly known as "ginger". Carbonated drinks are also known as "juice" in many locations, including most of the east of Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, "brown lemonade" also exists in addition to normal, "white" lemonade.


United States
Much of the reference material for this section is drawn from The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy, which also contains a map of responses by state
"Soft drink" commonly refers to cold, carbonated, non-alcoholic beverages in the United States. Carbonated beverages are regionally known as:

"Coke", in most of the South, including New Mexico and much of eastern and southern Oklahoma. Some older generations of Southerners refer to soft drinks as "dope".
"Pop" in most of the upper Midwest and into the western part of the Northeast, including such cities as Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Detroit, Michigan; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Erie, Pennsylvania and Buffalo, NY; and stretching as far east as Rochester, New York; west up to and including the Pacific Northwest; and as far south as the northern half of Oklahoma. The majority of the state of Michigan (including the Upper Peninsula), especially the Metro Detroit area specifically call soft drinks "Pop" (Faygo, a brand of soft drink made in Detroit is an example of this). In the lower Midwest, such as southern Illinois, southern Indiana, and the Cincinnati, Ohio area, "soft drink" predominates (which is why the term is used in Kroger stores, which is Cincinnati-based). The state of Colorado also uses the term "pop."
"Soda" in the Northeast, the Southwest (California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas, Hawaii, and parts of South Florida (near Miami), and parts of the Midwest (around St. Louis and parts of Wisconsin, especially in the East, and around Milwaukee).
"Tonic" is used all over eastern New England although the usage is becoming archaic.
"Soda pop" is used by some speakers especially in the mountain west.
"Drink", "cold drink", and "soda" are locally common in southern Virginia and the Carolinas, spreading from there as far as Louisiana.
"Cold drink" is the phrase of choice in New Orleans, Louisiana.
At many restaurants in the U.S., one finds that the products of only a single major beverage producer, such as The Coca-Cola Company or PepsiCo, are available. While patrons requesting a "coke" may be truly indifferent as to which cola brand they receive, the careful server will confirm intent with a question like "Is Pepsi ok?" Similarly, 7 Up or Sprite may indicate whichever clear, carbonated, citrus-flavoured drink happens to be at hand. The generic uses of these brand names does not affect the local usage of the words "pop" or "soda", to mean any carbonated beverage.
An interesting correlation to note in the United States is that states where "soda" is predominant tend toward democratic candidates in presidential elections, whereas states where "pop" or "coke" is said more often give their electoral votes to republicans, though exceptions occurred in 2004 in Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Arizona, and Missouri.


Venezuela
The name used in Venezuela, not typical to other Latin American countries, is simply refresco. In some parts of Venezuela it is shortened to "fresco". Brand names are respectively named by their brand.

See also: List of soft drinks by country


Mixed soft drinks
A beverage made by mixing many soft drinks together, usually from a soda fountain, is variously known as a graveyard, suicide, pop bomb, swamp water, tornado, kamikaze or garbage soda.


Floats
A float is created by dropping a scoop of ice cream into a soft drink. In the midwestern 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:

vaca preta (black cow): ice cream in cola
vaca amarela (yellow cow): ice cream in guarana-flavoured soft drink
pantera cor de rosa (the Pink Panther): strawberry ice cream in lemon lime soft drink
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 Purple Cow, Brown Cow, or Black Cow, which is vanilla ice cream in root beer, or Boston cooler, which is vanilla ice cream in Vernor's ginger ale.


Controversy

Nutritional value
Soft drinks obtain nearly all of their food energy in the form of refined cane sugar or corn syrup. While the USDA recommended daily allotment (RDA) 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.[3]

Soft drinks may also displace other more nutritional food 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 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 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).[1]

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.[citation needed] Suggested factors include physical activity, and the fact that American soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup instead of cane sugar. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is used to enhance the sweetness of some soft drink beverages, could also play a role by stimulating appetite.

In March 2006, Pediatrics 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. [4]


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." [2].


Soft drinks and teeth
A large number of soft drinks are acidic and some may have a pH of 3.0 or even lower. [3] 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. It has also been 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. [4]


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.[5]


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. 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.

The American Beverage Association has produced a factsheet on sales in schools.[6].

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[citation needed] 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.[7]


Carcinogens in soft drinks
Main article: Benzene 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; see, for example, 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 its 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 Environmental Protection Agency's recommended standard of 5 ppb. The Environmental Working Group [5] 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" [6].


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. [7]


Alcohol Content
A report in October 2006 demonstrates that some soft drinks contain measurable amounts of alcohol. [8] 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.[9] 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 yogurt is 1.5 times higher than that found in their soft drink. [10]
References
Lancet 2001;357:505-08. "Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis"
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.
Acids. British Soft Drinks Association. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
M. A. Bassiouny, J. Yang, "Influence of drinking patterns of carbonated beverages on dental erosion", General Dentistry, May-June, vol. 53, no. 3, 2005. [1] [2]
BBC Fizzy drinks 'affect children's sleep' 8 January 2003
American Beverage Association State Laws & Regulations Governing Beverage Sales in Schools (PDF format)
BBC (Sanjoy Majumder) Indian state bans Pepsi and Coke 9 August 2006

External links
American Beverage Association
Soft Drinks in Schools
The Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy
Soft drinks news page
Challenges for the Soft Drink Manufacturer - a market research report