Most of the soft drinks are slightly acidic in nature due to the presence of two common food acidulants- phosphoric acid and citric acid. These add a pleasant tartness to the soft drinks and act as preservatives. Soft drinks do not normally spoil because of their acidity and carbonation. However, storage conditions and storage time can sometimes impact taste and flavor. For this reason, some soft drinks contain small amounts of preservatives that are commonly used in many foods.
Potassium is another essential nutrient found in many natural and man-made food ingredients.
Like sodium, potassium exists naturally in drinking water and, therefore, soft drinks. Small amounts of potassium are also found in some of the flavoring agents and other ingredients used in soft drinks. Regular soft drinks are sweetened either with sucrose, the familiar sweetener in your sugar bowl or with high fructose corn syrup. A mixture of these sweeteners is also sometimes used. These include Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose and Acesulfame K, which are hundred times sweeter than the table sugar.