# Soda and acid

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 4, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724 "2007-12-04T00:02:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Miguel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@Miguel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miguel)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/1 "2007-12-04T00:02:58Z")

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Ok, I was reading the ingredients list while drinking Dr. Pepper and a question popped in my head that I always wondered. Why is there is phosphoric acid in it? I assume it might be for taste (for Dr. Pepper, I taste the lactic acid much more), but how did they decide that something that can remove rust be used food?

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/2 "2007-12-04T07:39:19Z")

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It’s a soft drink _and_ a rust remover…

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/3 "2007-12-04T09:12:24Z")

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Lemon juice will clean copper and brass. So will vinegar. What point are we making here?

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**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/4 "2007-12-04T09:32:49Z")

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The phosphoric acid gives a tangy bite. At a guess, I would say it is cheaper than other tangy (rather than sour) food acids, such as citric, tartaric and malic acids.

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**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/5 "2007-12-04T14:07:22Z")

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Also consider that the environment you are sending your soda to is full of HCl, which will cheerfully remove the enamel from your teeth given the chance.  
Acid is not as scary as Hollywood would have us believe.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/6 "2007-12-04T16:02:47Z")

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[QUOTE=Malacandra]  
Lemon juice will clean copper and brass. So will vinegar. What point are we making here?  
[/QUOTE]

Exactly. Acids are tasty.

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**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-and-acid/428724/7 "2007-12-04T16:18:28Z")

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[QUOTE=Colophon]  
Exactly. Acids are tasty.  
[/QUOTE]

Yup. I’ve got some right here with a lovely flavour of bitter almOMG)!£"$)\_(\*&!!!\>…