What Kind of Acids Does Sour Candy Have? From: http://www.livestrong.com/article/237183-what-kinds-of-acids-does-sour-candy-have/
Depending on how sour you like your candy, the flavor of sour candy comes from different acids. While there are at least eight different acids used in sour candy, the four most common are citric, malic, tartaric and fumaric acids. Each acid has a different level of sourness. Sour candies usually contain a mixture of two or more acids to create the desired flavor.
Citric Acid
Citric acid provides a burst of tartness. It comes from lemons, grapefruit and other citrus fruits, so you can imagine the sour tang it delivers. Berries also contain citric acid, and it's a secondary acid in many fruits and vegetables. In addition to contributing sour flavor, it prevents food from spoiling and helps keep color in foods and beverages.
Beyond its use in candy, citric acid fills beneficial roles in your body. It works as an antioxidant, and it’s essential for energy production. Citric acid is also used to help prevent kidney stones.
Malic Acid
Malic acid delivers a smooth, mellow tartness similar to biting into an apple (because that's the main acid in an apple!) Apples, apricots, cherries and tomatoes also contain malic acid. In candy, it boosts the intensity of sour flavors and enhances fruit flavors.
Like citric acid, malic acid is produced in your body, and helps in producing energy. It may also help prevent kidney stones.
Fumaric and Tartaric Acids
Fumaric acid is the strongest and most sour-tasting acid of the organic acids. In candy, it creates a long-lasting sour flavor because it doesn’t dissolve as easily as other acids. A small amount of fumaric acid naturally occurs in apples, beans, carrots and tomatoes.
Tartaric acid tastes moderately sour and is more astringent than citric and malic acids. While it's often found in sour candies, tartaric acid is also an essential ingredient in cream of tartar and baking powder. This organic acid is associated with grapes and wine, as well as bananas.
Health Concerns
While the amount of acid you’ll get from occasionally enjoying sour candy isn’t likely to cause problems, these acids can temporarily irritate your tongue and mouth, especially if you eat a lot of pieces of sour candy in a short time.
On the pH scale, which measures acidity and assigns a value of zero as the most acidic, sour candies have a pH between 2 and 3. This makes them acidic enough to erode tooth enamel, reports the Minnesota Dental Association.
You can reduce damage from acids by limiting the amount of time you have sour candy in your mouth and rinsing with water as soon as you’re finished. Don’t brush your teeth for at least an hour, or you’ll actually make the acid’s damage worse!
Depending on how sour you like your candy, the flavor of sour candy comes from different acids. While there are at least eight different acids used in sour candy, the four most common are citric, malic, tartaric and fumaric acids. Each acid has a different level of sourness. Sour candies usually contain a mixture of two or more acids to create the desired flavor.
Citric Acid
Citric acid provides a burst of tartness. It comes from lemons, grapefruit and other citrus fruits, so you can imagine the sour tang it delivers. Berries also contain citric acid, and it's a secondary acid in many fruits and vegetables. In addition to contributing sour flavor, it prevents food from spoiling and helps keep color in foods and beverages.
Beyond its use in candy, citric acid fills beneficial roles in your body. It works as an antioxidant, and it’s essential for energy production. Citric acid is also used to help prevent kidney stones.
Malic Acid
Malic acid delivers a smooth, mellow tartness similar to biting into an apple (because that's the main acid in an apple!) Apples, apricots, cherries and tomatoes also contain malic acid. In candy, it boosts the intensity of sour flavors and enhances fruit flavors.
Like citric acid, malic acid is produced in your body, and helps in producing energy. It may also help prevent kidney stones.
Fumaric and Tartaric Acids
Fumaric acid is the strongest and most sour-tasting acid of the organic acids. In candy, it creates a long-lasting sour flavor because it doesn’t dissolve as easily as other acids. A small amount of fumaric acid naturally occurs in apples, beans, carrots and tomatoes.
Tartaric acid tastes moderately sour and is more astringent than citric and malic acids. While it's often found in sour candies, tartaric acid is also an essential ingredient in cream of tartar and baking powder. This organic acid is associated with grapes and wine, as well as bananas.
Health Concerns
While the amount of acid you’ll get from occasionally enjoying sour candy isn’t likely to cause problems, these acids can temporarily irritate your tongue and mouth, especially if you eat a lot of pieces of sour candy in a short time.
On the pH scale, which measures acidity and assigns a value of zero as the most acidic, sour candies have a pH between 2 and 3. This makes them acidic enough to erode tooth enamel, reports the Minnesota Dental Association.
You can reduce damage from acids by limiting the amount of time you have sour candy in your mouth and rinsing with water as soon as you’re finished. Don’t brush your teeth for at least an hour, or you’ll actually make the acid’s damage worse!
Acid Levels in Popular Candies
Water (neutral) 7.0 (Loss of tooth enamel) 4.0 Spree 3.0 Sweetarts 3.0 Big Stuff Pacifier Sucker 3.0 Sour Gummi Bears 3.0 X-treme Airheads 3.0 Sour Punch Straws 2.5 Shockers 2.5 Regular Skittles 2.5 Baby Bottle Pop Powder 2.5 Brach’s Gummi Bears 2.5 Sqwigglies Gummi Worms 2.5 Wonka Laffy Taffy 2.5 Starburst 2.4 Sweet Tarts Shock 2.4 |
Lemon Heads 2.4 Mentos Fruit Chew 2.4 WarHeads Sour Rips Roll 2.3 Lollipop Paint Shop 2.2 Zours 2.2 Sour Skittles 2.2 Stomach Acid 2.0 Airheads Cherry Chew 2.0 Wonka Nerds Grape 2.0 Now and Later Cherry Chew 1.9 Too Tart Extra Sour Goo 1.9 Wonka Pixy Stix Powder 1.9 Altoids Mango Sours 1.9 Wonka Fun Dip Powder 1.8 WarHeads Sour Spray 1.6 Battery acid 1.0 |