Book excerpt: Soft drinks and fruit juices are produced in almost every country in the world and their availability is remarkable. From the largest cities to some of the remotest villages, soft drinks are available in a variety of flavours and packaging. The market for these products continues to show a remarkable potential for growth. The variety of products and packaging types continues to expand, and among the more significant developments in recent years has been the increase in diet drinks of very high quality, many of which are based on spring or natural mineral water. This book provides an overview of the chemistry and technology of soft drinks and fruit juices. The original edition has been completely revised and extended, with new chapters on Trends in Beverage Markets, Fruit and Juice Processing, Carbohydrate and Intense Sweeteners, Non-Carbonated Beverages, Carbonated Beverages, and Functional Drinks containing Herbal Extracts. It is directed at graduates in food science, chemistry or microbiology entering production, quality control, new product development or marketing in the beverage industry or in companies supplying ingredients or packaging materials to the beverage industry.