What is orange soda made of?

What is in orange soda?

Orange soda is a carbonated soft drink flavored like oranges. A typical bottle contains these parts:

• Carbonated water: the main ingredient.
• Sweetener: sugar, glucose-fructose or corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners in diet versions.
• Citric acid: a fruit acid for tartness.
• Orange flavor: natural or artificial flavors, sometimes a small amount of juice.
• Color and preservatives: the bright orange color is usually added, and preservatives keep it fresh.

Does it contain real orange juice?

It depends on the brand and country. A Fanta ingredient list quoted by one source shows orange juice from concentrate at 3.7 percent and citrus fruit from concentrate at 1.3 percent. Early Orange Crush advertising listed orange juice, flavoring from the peel, a fruit acid, color, carbonated water and cane sugar. Recipes vary, so only the label on your bottle is reliable.

How much sugar?

The same source says a 16 fl oz Fanta Orange contains about 57 g of sugar, though sweeteners and sizes vary by market. Diet and zero versions replace sugar with sweeteners.

Is orange soda a mixture?

Yes. It is a mixture of water, dissolved sugar, acids, dissolved carbon dioxide and flavorings. Because the parts are dissolved evenly it looks uniform, so it is usually described as a homogeneous mixture (a solution), unless a version contains pulp.

What was the first orange soda?

Sources do not agree on a single first. Orange Crush is dated to 1911 in most accounts. The orange-flavored Fanta was created in Naples, Italy, in 1955, according to a Fanta history page. The original Fanta of the 1940s was not orange.

How to choose

• Want real fruit: look for a juice percentage on the pack.
• Cutting sugar: choose a diet or zero version, or dilute with sparkling water.
• Caffeine: most orange sodas are caffeine-free, but check the label.