A typical soda, can or bottle contains:

• water
• carbon dioxide (CO2) for the fizz.
• A sweetener such corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup or regular sugar (sucrose). A diet drink will instead have a version of Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), Sucralose (Splenda) or some other artificial sweetener. Some countries still use cyclamates.
• Artificial or natural flavor to make it taste like the flavor it is labeled and not necessarily the item labeled. i.e. orange soda will probably not have any ingredients from an orange in it.
• Caramel coloring or other artificial or natural colors to make it look like the flavor it is labeled but not necessarily from the labeled flavor. i.e. A red cherry color may actually be cochineal extract from the cochineal, a insect.
• Any of citric acid, sodium citrate, phosphoric acid, etc to give the drink some sort of tartness or mellowness not supplied by the flavorings.
• Some preservative such as sodium benszate.

For Gluten Free People we need to know what we are putting in our mouth, so I have complied a list of possible, and probably additives containing gluten.

• Starch (1400's range in additives). Many of them are wheat based
• HVP - Hydrolised Vegetable Protein
• HPP - Hydrolised Plant Protein
• Maltodextrin - some are derived from wheat
• Malt extract
• Vinegar - is it malt vinegar?
• Soy sauce - is it wheat based?
• Caramel colour- can be a problem for some people.

== == Interesting question -- MSG itself is flavorless; it merely enhances the flavors in other ingredients. As such, the simplest answer to this question is... salt. Salt also has no flavor, per se, and "wakes up" your taste buds so that they experience more of the food's flavor. There are also companies that produce substitutions (see http://www.newstarget.com/021518.html) but nothing particularly popular. Depending on the recipe, salty additives like soy sauce (make sure it's MSG-free, which it often isn't), Worcestershire sauce, etc., can help.

When added to almost to any food, MSG is not flavorless. The Japansese have found a new sense of taste called unami, and MSG will often enhance food by adding this meaty flavor to it. So use meat bases if you want to achieve a similar result.

MSG is Mono-Sodium-Glutamate, usually produced commercially by bacteria. It is converted by saliva to Sodium, (Table Salt) and Glutamate, the anionic form of Glutamic acid. Aside from the flavour enhancement of the Sodium, it is the Glutamate that gives the Unami taste provided by MSG. By itself it has a subtle salty,savoury taste, that is only fully registered when combined with other food. Unami is a true taste registered by the tongue, not a flavour. As a taste unami is best described as savoury or meaty.

Glutamate and Glutamic acid are naturally occurring amino acids present in a large range of foods. It is free Glutamate that provides the unami taste They are most concentrated in sharp cheeses (like Parmesan), yeast and yeast extracts, anchovies, fermented fish sauce (and hence Worcestershire sauce), fermented bean products (hence soy sauce), sea-weed/vegtables and savory mushrooms (like Shiitaki). Tomatoes also contain reasonable amounts, which in the quantities of a tomato sauce, have a strong unami taste.

All meat products will have some unami taste because of their high protein content. As an all-purpose substitute, fermented fish sauce is the best substitute. In the small quantities needed as a flavour enhancer it contributes little extra flavour to a dish other than the desired unami taste. It also contributes salt to the dish. Worcestershire sauce does much the same with a more complex flavour.

Soy sauce is best for Asian dishes.

Parmesan cheese for pastas and other Italian/Western cooking.

Tomato and Shiitaki mushrooms can play roles although they are not as ubiquitous in use as MSG or its concentrated substitutes.

If you want to avoid adding Glutamate altogether, remembering that it is a part of all proteins in every living cell, both plant and animal, you can focus on the other taste and mouthfeel aspects to mask the lack of unami in your dish. Taste wise you can:

* Add more salt to make you dish saltier. * Add more sugar, honey or caramel etc... to make it sweeter. * Add more lemon or fruit juice, tamarind, vinegar or wine to make it more acidic. * Note: Bitter and alkaline flavours aren't usually desirable but lime juice can give a very nice bitter tang and Bi-Carb Soda is sometimes used in food for its flavour.

Or introduce other mouthfeel elements such as: * Pepper and chilis to add spicy heat * Alcohol (strong spirits) to add warmth * Mint (menthol) to add a cooling sensation

* Szechwan pepper to add a mouth-numbing sensation

MSG is a mono sodium glutamate

it gives food a better taste but it is not healthy for your body

it can cause cancer to form in the body

it does not digest

Here are some more dangers to watch out for:

• Allergic reactions
• Alzheimer's disease
• Asthma attacks
• Burning, numbness, or tingling in or around your mouth
• Brain damage
• Cancer
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Damage to your unborn child
• Death due to an MSG reaction
• Diarrhea
• Eye inflammation
• Flushing
• Free radical damage to your blood vessels (this can lead to a heart attack or a stroke)
• Headaches (including migraine headaches)
• Heart disease
• Memory loss
• Nausea
• Pressure or tightness in the muscles in your face
• Fertility problems (for both men and women)
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeats
• Seizures
• Shortness of breath
• Stuttering or speech problems
• Sweating
• Swelling of the brain (brain edema)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Weakness
• Weight gain (the weight you gain from eating MSG is very difficult to lose)

1.Preservatives are substances added to food to prevent or inhibit growth of spoilage organisms. Examples of selected preservatives are:

a.salt,sugar,vinegar, and pepper (common household preservatives)

b.Saltpeter or sodium nitrate (used for meat curing)

c.Sulfur dioxide (sulfurous acid) and sulfide (inhibit discoloration of cut fruits and serve as anti-browning agent)

d.Benzoic acid or sodium benzoate (for fruit juices,jellies,margarine, and catsup)

e.Citric and tartaric acids (provide the acid for flavor improvement in syrups, drinks, and jellies)

f.Alum and soaked lime or a pog - used as a firming agent for pickles and fruit preserves.

2. anti-oxidants

3. Sequestrants

4.Surface active agents

5.stabilizers, thickener

6. Bleaching and maturing agents, starch modifier

7. anti-caking agents and enzymes