Arizona Sweet Tea Ingredients

Arizona Sweet Tea contains black tea, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors and vitamin C.

Black Tea

Tea comes in various colors, but it's all derived from the same plant.

There are four kinds of nonherbal tea---green, black, white and red---which all come from the same plant. Black tea refers to the degree of processing of the leaves of the plant; black tea is fully fermented and represents more than 75 percent of the tea consumed worldwide.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

HFCS is a corn derivative.

High fructose corn syrup, also known as HFCS, is derived through a process of converting sugars that are found in corn. There are different versions used for different purposes. HFCS 55 is the type that is most often used in beverages.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is found in lemons and other citrus fruits.

Citric acid is a component of citrus fruits that is responsible for their tart flavor.

Natural Flavors

The term "natural flavors" is a generic ingredient listing that may encompass one or more of a long list of natural elements. According to chapter one of the Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services Code of Federal Regulations, natural flavor refers to a combination of elements which may be the essential oils, essences or extracts containing the "flavoring constituents" derived from a spice, fruit, vegetable, herb, bark, root, leaf or other plant material or animal product.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid and, according to the FDA, it is a vitamin that the body "absolutely needs."

References

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Code of Federal Regulations Title 21
• "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth"; Jonny Bowden; 2007

Resources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• AriZona Beverage Co.