Patent ID: 7572471

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) including in a lemon/lime flavored beverage an acidulant system consisting of (i) citric acid in an amount from about 0.18 to about 0.24% by weight of the finished lemon/lime flavored beverage and (ii) adipic acid having a smaller dissociation constant than citric acid; and (b) increasing the pH of the lemon/lime flavored beverage by up to about 0.7 pH units until the beverage has a pH between about 3.2 and about 3.8 at the time of manufacture by including in the lemon/lime flavored beverage a buffer salt system consisting of a citrate salt and a phosphate salt, wherein the ratio by weight of said adipic acid:said citric acid is 1:15 to 1:3, and wherein for at least four weeks following manufacture the beverage is more tart and has a stronger lemon/lime taste than a beverage having the same amount of lemon flavoring and a pH of at least about 3.0 and without said ratio of acids.