Citric Acid in Beverages
Citric acid is one of the most common flavoring additives in the world. Concentrated citric acid powder is prized for its sour flavor, preservative qualities, and ability to serve as a pH buffer. More than 2 million tonnes of citric acid are manufactured every year, and of this quantity, 70 percent is used in food and beverage. In this blog, we will examine the various uses of citric acid in beverages, soft drinks, etc.
What is Manufactured Citric Acid?
Citric acid is present in large amounts in several citrus fruits. Still, extracting the major quantities of the acid from the fruits for manufacturing is impractical and commercially unviable.
American food chemist James Currie in 1917 while trying to produce the enzyme emulsin from the mold Aspergillus niger for splitting sucrose or glucose, found that citric acid is formed as a by-product in this process which is far cheaper than extracting it from lemons. Following that, when polycrystalline citric acid could be produced in what appeared to be unlimited quantities, Pfizer, etc and Citrique Belge started producing citric acid industrially.
Chinese citric acid industry is led by several key manufacturers. These include Weifang Ensign Industry, Shandong Lemon Biochemical Co., Ltd.,（TTCA） RZBC Group Co., Ltd.， Jiangsu Guoxin Union Energy Co., Ltd. Laiwu Taihe Biochemical Co., Ltd., and Seven Star Lemon. These companies form the backbone of Chinese citric acid production.
Further reading：Common Uses of Citric Acid
Uses of Citric Acid in Beverages
Citric acid, along with phosphoric acid, lactic acid, and malic acid, is one of the most commonly used acidifiers in beverages.
Citric acid in beverages is a common combination. In the category of beverages, citric acid is applied throughout carbonated soft drinks, juices, RTDs, cocktails, iced tea and coffee, flavored water and many others. Citric acid in small portions is effective for regulating the level of acid-base balance in drinks, adding taste. As a result, citric acid finds its application in the formulation of beverages because of its acidifier characteristics.
Citric acid forms a low pH environment that does not allow the growth of microorganisms and also reduces chemical reactions that lead to degradation. Beverage manufacturers can avoid the inclusion of products with artificial preservative chemicals. It also neutralizes sweetening agents in beam, sharpens the flavor of fruit juices, and provides a tart accent to the bitterness of coffee and teas. The sparkling and raw kind of feel that you can find with the majority of the regular drinks is due to the addition of citric acid.
The popular beverages that use citric acid are:
- Carbonated Beverages- Coke, lemon-flavored soda & other fruit-flavored sodas
- Fruit Juices – Popular fruit juices include; Orange juice, lemon juice, and apple juice among others
- Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Gatorade, and others.
- Soft Drinks – non-coca cola products, Gatorade, and Powerade.
- Tea-based beverages, Tea and fruit concentrates, ice tea, etc
- Cocktails
Let us break down the overarching citric acid functions in beverages.
1. Citric Acid as a pH Regulator
Citric acid gives beverages more flexibility as to their level of acidity. It plays an important role in altering the pH of a number of beverages that is why it is important. A lot of drinks need enough acidity for microbial stability and to adjust the pH to an optimal level. Citric acid facilitates precise pH adjustment between 3 to 4 for optimal balance. A balanced pH level in beverages ensures optimal solubility and stability of other ingredients, such as vitamins, minerals, etc.
The citric acid in carbonated soft drinks counteracts sweetness and contributes to the sherbety taste and feel which is much favored by the consumer. It also plays the role of buffering and stabilizing the pH in sports drinks to meet the right taste as well as performance.
In iced teas and fruit-flavored waters, citric acid plays a pivotal role in controlling microbial growth, while also contributing to the right sensory properties.
2. Use of Citric Acid as a Preservative in Beverages
Another area of usage where citric acid in beverages makes a lot of sense is the application of the substance as an organic preservative. Citric acid has the added advantage of being a preserving agent hence enabling the extending of shelf-life of many of the beverages. Citric acid brings about a low pH that prevents microbial growth from bacteria and fungi.
As far as the use of citric acid in flavored teas and flavored water beverages is concerned, it perfectly combines with other preservatives to minimize the percentage of artificial additives in foods. This natural preservation technique is of great significance in craft sodas and premium products since most of them appeal to the consumer by claiming a list of fewer additives as their critical selling point.
Citric acid in beverages also chelates metal ions that can catalyze damaging oxidative reactions during storage. This strong antioxidant effect further delays spoilage. So, when combined with adequate acidification, pasteurization, and bottling, beverages can maintain their quality and freshness for months.
3. Citric acid as a Flavouring Agent in Beverages
Citric acid is another key component that tastes so astronomical in the beverage sector. Citric acid stimulates taste receptors on the tongue, thereby allowing you to detect sweetness and tartness in a better way. For instance, in lemonades or orange juices, the citric acid brings out the natural taste of the fruits and makes the drinks denser in the mouth.
Similarly, for berry-flavored drinks, citric acid improves the impression of the berry flavors at the same time moderating the sweetness to help the different flavors to stand out. Citric acid also counters reacts disturbing bitter elements of regular iced teas, coffees and chocolates. In products like energy drinks, and vitamin water citric acid sustains flavor by hiding most of the aftertastes that could be caused by the additives like vitamins.
4. Chelation Effect
Citric acid added in flavored milk and yogurt which are supplied to students, chelates and dissolves calcium and maintains a creamy texture throughout the shelf life of the products.
Likewise, for clear beverages, such as flavored sparkling waters and light-colored teas, citric acid improves clarity by binding to minerals that could cause cloudiness.
5. Citric Acid As Antioxidant in Beverages
Citric acid is an antioxidant of high activity. It has a significant role in maintaining beneficial characteristics of drinks to ensure their health prospects and palatability. For instance, citric acid preserves the effectiveness of nutritional supplements in products such as drinks that are in the high Vitamin C category. For apple and pear juices, citric acid acts as an antioxidant that helps in preventing browning which is not desirable in juices, thus making the juices look fresh. Citric acid also assists in maintaining the attractive, bright color of ‘edible’ products like grape juices and berry smoothies, which gives colorful beverages their pleasing appearance during their beauty contest i. e. their shelf life.
Conclusion
Citric acid is very versatile and goes with a diversity of applications right from carbonated soft drinks, fruit-based drinks, powdered mix formulations, alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee, etc. Hence, citric acid is the flavor maestro in the entire realm of drinks.
Mondstar is a leading food additives supplier, offering a comprehensive range of high-quality citric acid solutions. Contact us for more information on citric acid.
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1. Uses of Citric Acid in Food
2. Citric Acid Anhydrous vs Citric Acid Monohydrate
