This article was taken from the November 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Every month Wired's chemist Dr Bibiana Campos Seijo deconstructs an everyday product. She is the editor of Chemistry World, the flagship magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Ingredients
Sodium bicarbonate
Modified starch
Sugar
Dextrose
Citric acid
Magnesium carbonate
Tartaric acid
Cornflour
Stearic acid
Magnesium stearate
Beetroot red
Curcumin
Lutein
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid of molecular formula C6H8O7.
When you put the sherbet on your tongue, the saliva in your mouth dissolves the citric acid crystals. The acid then reacts with sodium bicarbonate producing carbon dioxide gas, which in turn causes the fizzing sensation.
Sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate is commonly used in cooking as a leavening agent, and as an antacid to treat heartburn and indigestion. Until recently, it was used in kitchen fire-extinguishers as, in the heat of a fire, it releases a cloud of carbon dioxide that smothers the flames.
Magnesium carbonate
This acts as an anti-caking agent. As a food additive (E504) it has laxative effects in high concentrations. It is employed as a drying agent for hands in rock climbing and weight lifting, and, when mixed with hydrogen peroxide, it is used in taxidermy for whitening bones.
Lutein
In Double Dip, lutein acts as a flavouring and colouring agent (orange-red). Typically found in green, leafy vegetables, lutein is an antioxidant and helps protect the eyes and the skin from UV damage. It was previously used in chicken feed to improve the colour of the skin and fat, and to give a darker yolk.
Curcumin
As the main, active compound in turmeric, curcumin is responsible for its yellow colouration. With purported antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, Curcuma longa has long been a staple of Indian and Chinese traditional medicine.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
