This article was taken from the September issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content bysubscribing online
Each month Wired’s chemist Dr John Emsley, author of nine books and 110 research papers, deconstructs an everyday product. This month: Ribena Really Light
Banish curly hair, clean your toilet and quench-your thirst – all while watching your waistline
Ingredients:
>Water
>Blackcurrant juice from concentrate (seven per cent)
>Malic acid
>Acidity regulators (calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate)
>Vitamin C
>Sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K)
>Citric acid
>Stabiliser (xanthan gum)
>Flavouring
>Colour (anthrocyanins)
Malic acid (aka E296)
This acid (C4H6O5) converts into sweet tasting molecules. Nature produces only left hand forms but that produced by the chemical industry contains left and right hand forms.
Calcium hydroxide (aka slaked lime, Ca(OH)<sub>2</sub>, E526)
This is added to keep the pH of the drink (which is slightly acid) at a constant level. This chemical is also used to straighten curly hair.
Calcium carbonate (aka limestone, CaCO<sub>3</sub>, E170)
This forms limescale when hard water is heated. It is also what indigestion tablets are made of. It acts to stabilise the pH of the drink.
Artificial sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame KIntense sweeteners such as aspartame-consist of two amino acids; acesulfame is a sulphur nitrogen molecule which is made soluble as it is a potassium salt (hence the K symbol).
Vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid, E300)The RDA of vitamin C is 60mg and blackcurrants contain this vitamin -- but the amount coming from the seven per cent of fruits in this drink needs to be boosted by the addition of this man made vitamin C.
Citric acid (aka E330)
This is a natural acid produced by many fruits. It is regarded as a “green” acid because it is produced in nature, although most is made synthetically. It is used in eco friendly toilet bowl cleaners to remove limescale.
Anthocyanins (aka E163)
These are natural pigments that can be red, blue or purple -- they give colour to blackcurrants. The anthocyanins are reputed to protect against cancer because they absorb damaging UV rays.
Xanthan gum (aka E415)
This carbohydrate is used as a thickening agent, but it also preserves components in food, which is what it does for the blackcurrant juice concentrate. It’s made by fermenting corn starch.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
