Beverage emulsion is added to sugar and carbonated water to make soda and fruit drinks. This oil-in-water emulsion provides flavor and opacity, especially in products like orange soda. These emulsions have traditionally been stabilized using gum arabic.
To prevent creaming, sedimentation, and loss in flavor and opacity, interfacial starch derivatives are used in both the concentrate and finished beverage. The concentrate is created by homogenizing oils with solubilized lipophilic starch, citric acid, sodium benzoate, and color.
A fine emulsion, typically 1 micrometer or less, is required for stability and for opacity, where desired.