Citrus flavors are popular in beverages as well as all other sweet products such as confectionery, cookies and desserts. Lately, we also see a growing popularity in food, particularly in sauces and dressings. The level of use varies widely, from about 200 ppm in beverages to more than ten times higher in chewing gum (see Table I). This is related mainly to flavor release because of the particular food system.
Soft Drinks
Although the level of flavor in soft drinks is the lowest on this list, the total consumption volume is by far the highest. It is no surprise then that tbe beverage industry is the largest user of citrus oils for flavoring; therefore I will discuss it first.
Let us begin by taking a look at the industry itself (see Table II). The world produces a total of about 17 billion cases of 24 x 8-ounce bottles, 40% consumed in the U.S. Cola drinks constitute about 50% of the world soft drink production.