Fizzy snow may be bottled

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 680, 1 April 1997, Page 2

Fizzy snow may be bottled

Snow soda looksto be a major posi tive spin-off from the Ruapehu eruptions, if entrepreneurs can get around Department of Conservation rules about exploiting a product from a national park. Scientists have found that the 1995-96 eruptions left very high carbon dioxide levels in the soil and they expect it to be absorbed into the snow

which, ortce melted, will be carbonised, hence the soda. Added to that, a high concentration of a weak tribasic acid — a component of citric acid — in the ash is expected to add a lemon flavour to the soda. These two factors combined will mean Ruapehu snow this winter will be fizzy, with a lemon flavour. This theory, only born

out of scientific studies yesterday, may be great news for Ruapehu people, but is expected to upset people from Paeroa whose 'world famous in New Zealand' drink could be

surpassed by the Ruapehu snow soda. With the huge amount of snow that falls on Ruapehu, there is potential for an enormous quantity of the soda to be produced.

It is thought that the first batch of snow soda came down in the last snow shower, early last week. The first tasting of the new drink was expected to be carried out today, 1 April.