Lemon lime soda is a soft drink with both lemon and lime flavors.

Lemon Lime Soda

What is Lemon Lime Soda?

Lemon lime soda is a soft drink with both lemon and lime flavors. It is a beverage which undergoes carbonation, that is, dissolving of carbon dioxide in the drink under high pressure. These drinks are usually colorless and clear; however, there are also some cloudy types of lemon lime drinks.

  • These drinks are often packaged in green bottles to distinguish them from sodas.
  • These carbonated drinks are consumed cold and have a sweet, crisp taste with citrus overtones.

The most popular brands are:

  • Sprite
  • 7 Up
  • Mountain Dew
  • Sierra Mist
  • Mello Yello
  • Squirt
  • Fanta
  • Canada Dry
  • Slice 

Origin

The original version of this drink was created by Charles Leiper Grigg in 1929. Apart from carbon dioxide and citrus flavorings, the product also contained a chemical called lithium citrate, which is a mood stabilizing drug that was (and still is) used for depression and other psychological disorders. It was called Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda, which was later shortened to 7 Up for marketing reasons. 7 Up remained the market leader and continues to hold a huge portion of the market. 

Nutrition

One serving of lemon-lime soda (360mL) contains:

Sodas contain little in the form of nutrition. They contain large quantities of sugar and artificial compounds, which can lead to long-term health problems, if consumed in excess. The addition of lime during the clarification process, and the later addition of pepsin makes these drinks good for digestion. 

Commercial production

Different brands have different compositions, but the general components of this carbonater drink contain several compounds such as 2,3-dehydro-1,8-cineole, 1,8-cineole, octanal, nonanal, decanal, linalool, borneol, isoborneol, neral, geranial, nerol, geraniol, and p-cresol in differing proportions. The drink contains artificial flavors, but no fruit and is carbonated. In the US, lemon lime brands have had a constant market share of around 9 to 10 percent over the last few years. The average person consumes this drink 1.14 times a year.

Lemon lime soda recipes

This carbonated drink can be made at home with just a few ingredients such as club soda, lemon juice, key lime juice, and a sweetener. Just mix all the ingredients in a glass. Stir well and serve. 

It can also be used to make drinks and dishes. Here are some popular recipes:

FDA regulations

Lemon lime soda falls under the classification of carbonated soft drinks. The FDA has established Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) to ensure that the sodas are compliant with food safety norms. All sodas must contain nutritional information on their packaging. There is no standard of identity for lemon lime or soft drinks in general. 

References

The Origins of Soda, Medical Bag, https://www.medicalbag.com/home/features/grey-matter/the-origins-of-soda/

Walker, Ryan W et al. “Fructose content in popular beverages made with and without high-fructose corn syrup.” Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) vol. 30,7-8 (2014): 928-35. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2014.04.003. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900714001920 

True Food Fact, Soda, http://www.eatdat.com/beverage/soda/