The concept of soft drinks varies from country to country and is generally described as a liquid food mainly used to replenish the body's water, while other liquid foods intended for the intake of other nutrients or for health care purposes are not included. The main raw materials of soft drinks are water, sweeteners, sour agents, food flavors, carbon dioxide, and pigments, fruit and vegetable materials, emulsifiers, thickeners, antioxidants, etc. In our country, the regulation ethanol content in soft drink is below 0.5%.

There are many ways to classify soft drinks.

According to its role, soft drinks can be divided into 4 categories: 1. Simply used to supplement water or as a diluent with drinks, such as natural mineral water, fresh water, soda water. 2. Flavored beverages, such as acidic raw fruit juice, fruit juice drinks, fruit drinks, non-acidic tea, coffee, flower drinks, etc. Acidic drinks can be inflated or not, and non-acidic drinks are generally not inflated. 3. Drinks with nutrients, such as high-calorie drinks needed by heavy manual workers, mineral salt drinks needed by sports people, low-calorie sugar-free drinks needed by some people, vitamin drinks and dairy drinks liked by ordinary consumers. 4. Other drinks with special functions, such as non-alcoholic beer.

According to its production process, soft drinks can also be divided into four categories: 1. Collection type, such as natural mineral water, only simple processing. 2. Extractive, such as natural fruit and vegetable materials, tea, etc., need to be crushed, pressed or extracted and extracted. 3. Preparation type, such as juice drinks, made from natural raw materials and food additives. 4. Fermentation type, such as lactic acid bacteria drinks, vinegar drinks, etc., need to be produced by fermentation technology.

The national standard of our country, according to use raw material, product form and function different, the soft drink is divided into 10 kinds: 1. Carbonated beverages; 2. Fruit juice (pulp) and fruit juice beverage; 3. Vegetable juice beverage; 4. Dairy drinks; 5. Plant protein drinks; 6. Bottled drinking water; 7. Tea drinks; 8. Solid beverages; 9. Special purpose beverages; 10. Other beverages