Beverage compositions having low levels of preservative with enhanced microbial stability

A beverage composition comprising:

• (a) from about 20 ppm to about 50 ppm of a preservative consisting of sodium benzoate;
• (b) from about 300 ppm to about 1500 ppm of a polyphosphate having the structure:
• wherein each M is independently selected from the group consisting of sodium and potassium;
• (c) water;
• and
• (d) from about 0.1% to about 40% fruit juice, by weight of the composition;
• wherein the beverage composition has a pH of from about 2 to about 5 and a total hardness of from 0 to about 300, and wherein the beverage composition is microbially stable such that the beverage composition would exhibit less than a 100-fold increase in the level of microorganisms when stored at 73° F. for at least 28 days, following an initial contamination level of 10 cfu/mL of spoilage microorganisms;
• wherein the beverage composition is not hot packed, aseptically packed, or combinations thereof;
• and wherein when the total hardness due to magnesium and calcium is from about 0 ppm to about 60 ppm, n averages from about 13 to about 35 and when the total hardness is from about 60 ppm to about 300 ppm, n is from about 17 to about 30.