The diet soda rundown.

I always thought diet soda was something that could be plausibly ingested, but I recently (mistakenly) took a look at the label on a can of Pepsi Max.

Honestly... I don't know what I was expecting. It's not like you look at Pepsi and see some semblance of a food product (I mean, even Sunny Delight could conceivably be an orange).

So, I decided to break it down, for my own edification. Thank you Wikipedia.

Carbonated water: Fair enough.
Caramel color: Synthetic food coloring derived from corn.
Phosphoric acid: Low-cost, mass produced chemical controversially linked to lower bone density.
Potassium benzoate: Deters mold and bacterial growth, commonly made by oxidizing tolulene- which, apparently carries the "typical smell of paint thinners". Nice.
Caffeine: You love it, I love it, but we probably shouldn't drink so much of it.
Natural flavor: Does anyone even know what this means? Ever?
Acesulfame potassium: An artificial sweetener and potential carcinogen.
Citric acid: Typically derived from corn, linked to the erosion of tooth enamel.
Calcium Disodium EDTA: Ironically, a way to decrease your chances of getting cancer (from the reaction between potassium benzoate and ascorbic acid which... well, gives you cancer).
Panax ginseng extract: This is random, and I really have no idea what it's doing in here. Probably the "Max" part of Pepsi Max.
Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine: Actually a warning label for people suffering from PKU, a metabolic disorder that makes it hard to process phenylalanine (an amino acid used in artificial sweeteners).

Why does it surprise me that diet soda is a nothing but a chemical nightmare? It shouldn't, because like I said before, what else could it possibly be? What surprises me less is the well-worn response from the die-hard consumer: "Whatever, everything gives you cancer these days."

Can't say that makes me any more excited to drink it.