Beverage Manufacturers

Beverage manufacturers in the U.S. are arguably the most efficient in the world. Due to its enormous scale, American drink manufacturers are well equipped to produce the highest quality beverages at the highest speeds and lowest costs. Beverage manufacturing has a long history. In the beginning, there were tea plantations that provided the raw tea for brewers and vineyards that grew grapes for wine. However, back then, they often produced more than they could consume as there were no beverage bottles or containers, which posed the problem of how to distribute surplus product. This situation was fertile ground for the introduction of the beverage consultant. Today the beverage manufacturing process operates more efficiently and on a much larger scale. While there are many different types of beverage bottling and drink manufacturers in the world, the soft drink category is the largest. An extensive network of soft drink manufacturers exists and the term "soft drink" comes from the phrase "soda water," which dates back to 1798. By 1835, bottled soda water paved the way for mainstream beverage bottling. Beverage bottling and distribution got a major kick in the 1950s with the introduction of diet soft drinks. The beverage manufacturing business thrived through the 1960s and 1970s and by 1982 a sophisticated beverage distribution network was in full force. Carbonated soft drinks and their diet counterparts are now some of the most popular drinks on the market. According to Beverage Digest, in 2006 the U.S. carbonated soft drink market totaled nearly 10.2 billion cases.

Diet Drinks

Diet drinks, sometimes known as light drinks and are sugar-free, naturally or artificially sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages typically marketed to health-conscious people, diabetics, athletes, and other people who want to lose weight or stay fit. Many diet drinks are carbonated. Aspartame, known by the brand name NutraSweet, is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. Many Americans choose to consume soft drinks morning, noon, and night. They are tasty drinks, available everywhere, and are relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately, for most Americans, soft drinks are also a prime source of extra calories that can contribute to weight gain. Using artificial sweeteners in soft drinks instead of sugar or high fructose corn syrup offers an advantage by sidestepping common problems associated with weight gain or diabetes. Artificial sweeteners contain zero carbohydrates, no fat, and no protein, so they do not directly influence caloric intake or blood sugar levels. The bottom line is switching from sugar-sweetened soft drinks to diet drinks cuts calories. The FDA approves the use of five artificial sweeteners. Gram for gram, each one is sweeter than sugar. Approved sweeteners include: aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), which is 180 times sweeter than sugar; acesulfame-K (Sunett, Sweet One), which is 200 times sweeter than sugar; saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Necta Sweet), which is 300 times sweeter than sugar; sucralose (Splenda) which is 600 times sweeter than sugar; and neotame which is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. Tooth Decay Regular soft drinks contain a lot of sugar, which can cause cavities. Diet soda is naturally or artificially sweetened and does not necessarily contribute to cavities. Soda pop is a sweetened, acidic, often caffeinated, carbonated drink. Regular soda pop is sweet because of different kinds of sweeteners whereas "diet" pop is sweet because of added natural or artificial sweeteners. Every year the average American consumes 45 gallons of soda. Adults are just as prone to tooth decay, despite well-developed and well-calcified tooth enamel. Soft drinks can be double-trouble for teeth. More than sugar, the acids in many popular soft drinks contribute to tooth enamel decay and make teeth more prone to rot.