An effervescent exploration of the global history and myriad symbolic meanings of carbonated beverages. More than eighty years before the invention of Coca-Cola, sweet carbonated drinks became popular around the world, provoking arguments remarkably similar to those they prompt today. Are they medicinally, morally, culturally, or nutritionally good or bad? Seemingly since their invention, they have been loved—and hated—for being cold or sweet or fizzy or stimulating. Many of their flavors are international: lemon and ginger were more popular than cola until about 1920. Some are local: tarragon in Russia, cucumber in New York, red bean in Japan, and chinotto (exceedingly bitter orange) in Italy. This book looks not only at how something made from water, sugar, and soda became big business, but also how it became deeply important to people—for fizzy drinks’ symbolic meanings are far more complex than the water, gas, and sugar from which they are made.
Sodas are astonishing products. Little more than flavored sugar-water, these drinks cost practically nothing to produce or buy, yet have turned their makers--principally Coca-Cola and PepsiCo--into a multibillion-dollar industry with global recognition, distribution, and political power. Billed as "refreshing," "tasty," "crisp," and "the real thing," sodas also happen to be so well established to contribute to poor dental hygiene, higher calorie intake, obesity, and type-2 diabetes that the first line of defense against any of these conditions is to simply stop drinking them. Habitually drinking large volumes of soda not only harms individual health, but also burdens societies with runaway healthcare costs. So how did products containing absurdly inexpensive ingredients become multibillion dollar industries and international brand icons, while also having a devastating impact on public health? In Soda Politics, the 2016 James Beard Award for Writing & Literature Winner, Dr. Marion Nestle answers this question by detailing all of the ways that the soft drink industry works overtime to make drinking soda as common and accepted as drinking water, for adults and children. Dr. Nestle, a renowned food and nutrition policy expert and public health advocate, shows how sodas are principally miracles of advertising; Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spend billions of dollars each year to promote their sale to children, minorities, and low-income populations, in developing as well as industrialized nations. And once they have stimulated that demand, they leave no stone unturned to protect profits. That includes lobbying to prevent any measures that would discourage soda sales, strategically donating money to health organizations and researchers who can make the science about sodas appear confusing, and engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to create goodwill and silence critics. Soda Politics follows the money trail wherever it leads, revealing how hard Big Soda works to sell as much of their products as possible to an increasingly obese world. But Soda Politics does more than just diagnose a problem--it encourages readers to help find solutions. From Berkeley to Mexico City and beyond, advocates are successfully countering the relentless marketing, promotion, and political protection of sugary drinks. And their actions are having an impact--for all of the hardball and softball tactics the soft drink industry employs to maintain the status quo, soda consumption has been flat or falling for years. Health advocacy campaigns are now the single greatest threat to soda companies' profits. Soda Politics provides readers with the tools they need to keep up pressure on Big Soda in order to build healthier and more sustainable food systems.
Soft drinks have been in the news a lot lately, with many cities around the United States trying to minimize the intake of soda among their citizens. Readers will learn why there is such a backlash against soda. These sugary drinks are a favorite among people of all ages, but drinking too much is unhealthy. The solution may seem to be to drink diet soda or sugar-free options, but even these have problems. Readers will be armed with the knowledge of what soft drinks do to the body, and the impact of what they are really drinking.
Trends in Nonalcoholic Beverages covers the most recent advances, production issues and nutritional and other effects of different nonalcoholic beverages, such as carbonated beverages, cereal-based beverages, energy drinks, fruit punches, non-dairy milk products, nonalcoholic beer, ready-to-drink products (e.g. tea, coffee), smoothies, sparkling and reduced water beverages. In addition, it covers relevant issues, such as traditional non-alcoholic beverages, labeling and safety issues during production, as well as the intake of functional compounds in particular applications. This is an essential resource for food scientists, technologists, engineers, nutritionists and chemists as well as professionals working in the food/beverage industry. - Provides nutrient profiles and the effects of non-alcoholic beverages - Presents the relevance of the HACCP system for the non-alcoholic beverage industry - Covers a broad range of different non-alcoholic beverages that exist in the market and their characteristics with regard to personalized nutrition
The story of soda is the story of the modern world, a tale of glamorous bubbles, sparkling dreams, big bucks, miracle cures and spreading waistlines. Fizz! How Soda Shook Up The World charts soda's remarkable, world-changing journey from awe-inspiring natural mystery to ubiquitous presence in all our lives. Along the way you'll meet the quack medicine peddlers who spawned some of the world's biggest brands with their all-healing concoctions as well as the grandees of science and medicine mesmerized by the magic of bubbling water. You'll discover how fizzy pop cashed in on Prohibition, helped presidents reach the White House, and became public health enemy number one. You'll learn how Pepsi put the fizz in Apple's marketing and how soda's sticky sweet allure defined and built nations. And you'll find out how a soda-loving snail rewrote the law books. Fizz! tells the extraordinary tale of how a seemingly simple everyday refreshment zinged and pinged over our taste buds and, in doing so, changed the world around us. Tristan Donovan is the author of Replay: The History of Video Games. His work has appeared in the Times, Stuff, the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, and the Big Issue, among others.
It’s an actual fact—Uncle John is the most entertaining thing in the bathroom! Uncle John and his team of devoted researchers are back again with an all-new collection of weird news stories, odd historical events, dubious “scientific” theories, jaw-dropping lists, and more. This entertaining 31st anniversary edition contains 512 pages of all-new articles that will appeal to readers everywhere. Pop culture, history, dumb crooks, and other actual and factual tidbits are packed onto every page of this book. Inside, you’ll find . . . Dogs and cats who ran for political office The bizarre method people in Victorian England used to resuscitate drowning victims The man who met his future pet—a stray dog—while running across the Gobi Desert Searching for Planet X—the last unknown planet in our solar system Twantrums—strange Twitter rants that had disastrous effects The true story of Boaty McBoatface And much more!
The first book by a Coca-Cola CEO tells the remarkable story of the company's revival Neville Isdell was a key player at Coca-Cola for more than 30 years, retiring in 2009 as CEO after regilding the tarnished brand image of the world's leading soft-drink company. This first book by a Coca-Cola CEO tells an extraordinary personal and professional world-wide story, ranging from Northern Ireland to South Africa to Australia, the Philippines, Russia, Germany, India, South Africa and Turkey. Isdell helped put out huge public relations fires (India and Turkey), opened markets(Russia, Eastern Europe, Philippines and Africa), championed Muhtar Kent, the current Turkish-American CEO, all while living the ideal of corporate responsibility. Isdell's, and Coke's, story is newsy without being gossipy; principled without being preachy. Inside Coca-Cola is filled with stories and lessons appealing to anybody who has ever taken "the pause that refreshes." It's also a readable and important look at how companies can market and govern themselves more-ethically and to great success.
“Summer’s freshest sparkling drink. . . . In Gazoz, Mr. Briga and Ms. Sussman show how to craft syrups, layer flavors, and create a drink that reflects what’s in your own garden or grocery store.” —The Wall Street Journal “A sparkling book of inspiration . . . [The recipes] are at once fragrantly subtle and richly complex.” —The New York Times “This book is sure to delight your palate and quench your thirst!” —David Zilber, coauthor of The Noma Guide to Fermentation ZERO ALCOHOL, 100% DELICIOUSNESS Starting with plain sparkling soda, a gazoz layers in fresh fruits and flowers, aromatic herbs and spices, ferments, syrups, and other artisanal ingredients, all to create a beautiful marriage of flavor and fizz. In Gazoz, discover recipes for stone fruit gazoz, citrus gazoz, even “milkshake” gazoz using nut butters. The possibilities are endless, the results amazing. It’s the best nonalcoholic drink you’ve ever tasted, and by far the most fun to make.
