Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in the stores, restaurants, and vending machines of

more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is
often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the
United States since March 27, 1944). Originally intended as a patent medicine when it was
invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton, Coca-Cola was bought out by
businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the
world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century.
The company produces concentrate, which is then sold to licensed Coca-Cola bottlers
throughout the world. The bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company,
produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered
water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise Coca-Cola to retail
stores and vending machines. Such bottlers include Coca-Cola Enterprises, which is the largest
single Coca-Cola bottler in North America and western Europe. The Coca-Cola Company also
sells concentrate for soda fountains to major restaurants and food service distributors.
The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand
name. The most common of these is Diet Coke, with others including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola,
Diet Coke Caffeine-Free, Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Vanilla, and special
editions with lemon, lime or coffee.
In response to consumer insistence on a more natural product, the company is in the process of
phasing out E211, or sodium benzoate, the controversial additive used in Diet Coke and linked
to DNA damage in yeast cells and hyperactivity in children. The company has stated that it
plans to remove E211 from its other products, including Sprite and Oasis, as soon as a
satisfactory alternative is found.
History
The prototype Coca-Cola recipe was formulated at the Eagle Drug and Chemical Company, a
drugstore in Columbus, Georgia by John Pemberton, originally as a coca wine called
Pemberton's French Wine Coca. He may have been inspired by the formidable success of Vin
Mariani, a European coca wine.[
In 1886, when Atlanta and Fulton County passed prohibition legislation, Pemberton responded
by developing Coca-Cola, essentially a non-alcoholic version of French Wine Coca. The first
sales were at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886. It was initially sold as a
patent medicine for five cents a glass at soda fountains, which were popular in the United States
at the time due to the belief that carbonated water was good for the health. Pemberton claimed
Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia,
headache, and impotence. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of
the same year in the Atlanta Journal.
By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola — sold by three separate businesses — were on the
market. Asa Griggs Candler acquired a stake in Pemberton's company in 1887 and
incorporated it as the Coca Cola Company in 1888. The same year, while suffering from an
ongoing addiction to morphine, Pemberton sold the rights a second time to four more
businessmen: J.C. Mayfield, A.O. Murphey, C.O. Mullahy and E.H. Bloodworth. Meanwhile,
Pemberton's alcoholic son Charley Pemberton began selling his own version of the product.
John Pemberton declared that the name "Coca-Cola" belonged to Charley, but the other two
manufacturers could continue to use the formula. So, in the summer of 1888, Candler sold his
beverage under the names Yum Yum and Koke. After both failed to catch on, Candler set out to
establish a legal claim to Coca-Cola in late 1888, in order to force his two competitors out of the
business. Candler purchased exclusive rights to the formula from John Pemberton, Margaret
Dozier and Woolfolk Walker. However, in 1914, Dozier came forward to claim her signature on
the bill of sale had been forged, and subsequent analysis has indicated John Pemberton's
signature was most likely a forgery as well.

In 1892 Candler incorporated a second company, The Coca-Cola Company (the current
corporation), and in 1910 Candler had the earliest records of the company burned, further
obscuring its legal origins. By the time of its 50th anniversary, the drink had reached the status
of a national icon in the USA. In 1935, it was certified kosher by Rabbi Tobias Geffen, after the
company made minor changes in the sourcing of some ingredients.

Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894. The first outdoor wall
advertisement was painted in the same year as well in Cartersville, Georgia. Cans of Coke first
appeared in 1955. The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred in Vicksburg, Mississippi, at the
Biedenharn Candy Company in 1891. Its proprietor was Joseph A. Biedenharn. The original
bottles were Biedenharn bottles, very different from the much later hobble-skirt design that is
now so familiar. Asa Candler was tentative about bottling the drink, but two entrepreneurs from
Chattanooga, Tennessee, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead, proposed the idea
and were so persuasive that Candler signed a contract giving them control of the procedure for
only one dollar. Candler never collected his dollar, but in 1899 Chattanooga became the site of
the first Coca-Cola bottling company. The loosely termed contract proved to be problematic for
the company for decades to come. Legal matters were not helped by the decision of the bottlers
to subcontract to other companies, effectively becoming parent bottlers.
Coke concentrate, or Coke syrup, was and is sold separately at pharmacies in small quantities,
as an over-the-counter remedy for nausea or mildly upset stomach.

21st Century
On February 7, 2005, the Coca-Cola Company announced that in the second quarter of 2005
they planned to launch a Diet Coke product sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose,
the same sweetener currently used in Pepsi One. On March 21, 2005, it announced another diet
product, Coca-Cola Zero, sweetened partly with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame
potassium. In 2007, Coca-Cola began to sell a new "healthy soda": Diet Coke with vitamins B6,
B12, magnesium, niacin, and zinc, marketed as "Diet Coke Plus."
On July 5, 2005, it was revealed that Coca-Cola would resume operations in Iraq for the first
time since the Arab League boycotted the company in 1968.
In April 2007, in Canada, the name "Coca-Cola Classic" was changed back to "Coca-Cola." The
word "Classic" was truncated because "New Coke" was no longer in production, eliminating the
need to differentiate between the two. The formula remained unchanged.
In January 2009, Coca-Cola stopped printing the word "Classic" on the labels of 16-ounce
bottles sold in parts of the southeastern United States. The change is part of a larger strategy to
rejuvenate the product's image.
In November 2009, due to a dispute over wholesale prices of Coca-Cola products, Costco
stopped restocking its shelves with Coke and Diet Coke.

Use of stimulants in formula

When launched Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and
caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut, leading to
the name Coca-Cola (the "K" in Kola was replaced with a "C" for marketing purposes).
Coca — cocaine
Pemberton called for five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose; in 1891,
Candler claimed his formula (altered extensively from Pemberton's original) contained only a
tenth of this amount. Coca-Cola did once contain an estimated nine milligrams of cocaine per
glass, but in 1903 it was removed. Coca-Cola still contains coca flavoring.
After 1904, instead of using fresh leaves, Coca-Cola started using "spent" leaves — the
leftovers of the cocaine-extraction process with cocaine trace levels left over at a molecular
level. To this day, Coca-Cola uses as an ingredient a cocaine-free coca leaf extract prepared at
a Stepan Company plant in Maywood, New Jersey.
In the United States, Stepan Company is the only manufacturing plant authorized by the Federal
Government to import and process the coca plant, which it obtains mainly from Peru and, to a
lesser extent, Bolivia. Besides producing the coca flavoring agent for Coca-Cola, Stepan
Company extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it sells to Mallinckrodt, a St. Louis,
Missouri pharmaceutical manufacturer that is the only company in the United States licensed to
purify cocaine for medicinal use.
Kola nuts — caffeine
Kola nuts act as a flavoring and the source of caffeine in Coca-Cola. In Britain, for example, the
ingredient label states "Flavourings (Including Caffeine)." Kola nuts contain about 2 percent to
3.5 percent caffeine, are of bitter flavor and are commonly used in cola soft drinks. In 1911, the
U.S. government initiated United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, hoping
to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula. The case was decided in favor of Coca-
Cola. Subsequently, in 1912 the U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act was amended, adding caffeine to
the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances which must be listed on a product's label.
Coca-Cola contains 46 mg of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces, while Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola and
Diet Coke Caffeine-Free contain 0 mg.
Coca-Cola formula
The Coca-Cola formula is The Coca-Cola Company's secret recipe for Coca-Cola. As a
publicity, marketing strategy and intellectual property protection strategy started by Robert W.
Woodruff, the company presents the formula as a closely held trade secret known only to a few
employees, mostly executives.
Original formula
Published versions say it contains sugar or high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, caffeine,
phosphoric acid, coca extract, kola nut extract, lime extract, vanilla and glycerin. Alleged syrup
recipes vary greatly. The basic “cola” taste from Coca-Cola and competing cola drinks comes
mainly from vanilla and cinnamon; distinctive tastes among various brands are the result of
trace flavorings such as orange, lime and lemon and spices such as nutmeg. To this day, Coca-
Cola uses a United States license to purify the coca leaf for medicinal use. Because cocaine is
naturally present in coca leaves, today's Coca-Cola uses "spent," or treated, coca leaves, those
that have been through a cocaine extraction process, to flavor the beverage. The coca leaves
are imported from countries like Peru and Bolivia, and they are treated by chemical company
Stepan, which then sells the de-cocainized residue to Coca-Cola. Some contend that this
process cannot extract all of the cocaine alkaloids at a molecular level, and so the drink still
contains trace amounts of the stimulant. The Coca-Cola Company currently refuses to comment
on the continued presence of coca leaf in Coca-Cola.
A court case in Antalya, Turkey mentioned cochineal dye in Coca-Cola, but the company denies
it currently uses the dye.
Other formulas
In the United States, Coca-Cola normally uses high-fructose corn syrup instead of sugar as its
main sweetener, due to the combined effect of corn subsidies and sugar import tariffs making
HFCS substantially cheaper. There are two main sources of sugar-based Coca-Cola in the
United States:
Kosher Coca Cola
Kosher Coca Cola, produced for Passover, is sold in 2-liter bottles with a yellow cap marked
with an OU-P, indicating that the Orthodox Jewish Union certifies the soda as Kosher for
Passover, or with a white cap with a CRC-P indicating that the certification is provided by the
Chicago Rabbinical Council.
While the usual Coca-Cola formula is kosher (the original glycerin from beef tallow having been
replaced by vegetable glycerin), during Passover Ashkenazi Jews do not consume Kitniyot,
which prevents them from consuming high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), because corn is
forbidden as chametz.
Even sugar-based formulas would still require certification of both the formula and the specific
bottling plant, as the strictures of Kashrut on Passover are far higher and more complicated than
usual kosher observance.
Mexican Coca Cola
There is strong demand from Hispanic customers for the Coke they enjoyed "back home", so
Coca Cola supplies Mexican food stores with sugar-based Coca Cola in traditional glass
contour bottles. The company advises people seeking a sugar-based Coca Cola to buy
"Mexican Coke".
Purported secret recipes
Pemberton recipe
This recipe is attributed to a diary owned by Coca-Cola inventor, John S. Pemberton, just before
his death in 1888. (U.S. measures).
 Ingredients:
o 1 oz (28 g) caffeine citrate
o 3 oz (85 g) citric acid
o 1 US fl oz (30 ml; 1 imp fl oz) vanilla extract
o 1 US qt (946 ml; 33 imp fl oz) lime juice
o 2.5 oz (71 g) "Merchandise 7X"
o 30 lb (14 kg) sugar
o 4 US fl oz (118.3 ml; 4.2 imp fl oz) powder extract of cocaine (decocainized
flavor essence of the coca leaf)
o 2.5 US gal (9.5 l; 2.1 imp gal) water
o caramel sufficient
 Merchandise 7X:
 o 80 oil orange
o 40 oil cinnamon
o 120 oil lemon
o 20 oil coriander
o 40 oil nutmeg
o 40 oil neroli
 "Mix caffeine acid and lime juice in 1 quart boiling water add vanilla and flavoring when
cool. Let stand for 24 hours."
This recipe does not specify when or how the ingredients are mixed, or the flavoring oil quantity
units of measure (though it implies that the "Merchandise 7X" was mixed first). This was
common in recipes at the time, as it was assumed that preparers knew the method.
Reed recipe
This recipe is attributed to pharmacist John Reed.[12][13]
 30 lb (14 kg) sugar
 2 US gal (7.6 l; 1.7 imp gal) water
 1 US qt (950 ml; 33 imp fl oz) lime juice
 4 oz (110 g) citrate of caffeine
 2 oz (57 g) citric acid
 1 US fl oz (30 ml; 1.0 imp fl oz) extract of vanilla
 3/4 US fl oz (22.18 ml; 0.78 imp fl oz) fluid extract of kola
 3/4 US fl oz (22.18 ml; 0.78 imp fl oz) fluid extract of coca
Merory recipe
Recipe is from Food Flavorings: Composition, Manufacture and Use. Makes one 1 US gallon
(3.8 l; 0.83 imp gal) of syrup. Yield (used to flavor carbonated water at 1 US fl oz (30 ml; 1.0 imp
fl oz) per bottle): 128 bottles, 6.5 US fl oz (190 ml; 6.8 imp fl oz).
 Mix 5 lb (2.3 kg) of sugar with just enough water to dissolve the sugar fully. (High-
fructose corn syrup may be substituted for half the sugar.)
 Add 11⁄4 oz (35 g) of caramel, 1⁄10 oz (3 g) caffine, and 2⁄5 oz (11 g) phosphoric acid.
 Extract the cocaine from 5⁄8 drachms (1.1 g) of coca leaf (Truxillo growth of coca
preferred) with toluol; dry the cocaine extract.
 Soak the coca leaves and kola nuts (both finely powdered; 1⁄5 drachms (0.35 g) in
3⁄4 oz (21 g) of 20% alcohol.
 California white wine fortified to 20% strength was used as the soaking solution circa
1909, but Coca-Cola may have switched to a simple water/alcohol mixture.
 After soaking, discard the coca and kola and add the liquid to the syrup.
 Add 1 oz (28 g) lime juice (a former ingredient, evidently, that Coca-Cola now denies) or
a substitute such as a water solution of citric acid and sodium citrate at lime-juice
strength.
 Mix together
o 1⁄2 drachms (0.89 g) lemon oil,
o 1⁄4 drachms (0.44 g) orange oil,
o 1⁄10 drachms (0.18 g) cassia (Chinese cinnamon) oil,
o 2⁄5 drachms (0.71 g) nutmeg oil, and, if desired, traces of
o coriander,
o lavender, and
o neroli oils,
 Add to 1⁄4 oz (7 g) of 95% alcohol and shake.
 Add 1⁄10 oz (2.8 g) water to the oil mixture and let stand for twenty-four hours at about
60 °F (16 °C). A cloudy layer will separate.
 Take off the clear part of the liquid only and add the syrup.
 Add 7⁄10 oz (20 g) glycerine (from vegetable source, not hog fat, so the drink can be
sold to Jews and Muslims who observe their respective religion's dietary restrictions)
and 3⁄10 drachms (0.53 g) of vanilla extract.
 Add water (treated with chlorine) to make a gallon of syrup.
 Franchised production model
 The actual production and distribution of Coca-Cola follows a franchising model. The
Coca-Cola Company only produces a syrup concentrate, which it sells to bottlers
throughout the world, who hold Coca-Cola franchises for one or more geographical
 areas. The bottlers produce the final drink by mixing the syrup with filtered water and
sweeteners, and then carbonate it before putting it in cans and bottles, which the
bottlers then sell and distribute to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants and food
service distributors.
 The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, like
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company
(CCHBC) and Coca-Cola FEMSA, but fully independent bottlers produce almost half of
the volume sold in the world. Independent bottlers are allowed to sweeten the drink
according to local tastes.
 The bottling plant in Skopje, Macedonia, received the 2009 award for "Best Bottling
Company".

Health effects
Since studies indicate "soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in [the]
American diet", most nutritionists advise that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can be harmful if
consumed excessively, particularly to young children whose soft drink consumption competes
with, rather than complements, a balanced diet. Studies have shown that regular soft drink
users have a lower intake of calcium, magnesium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin A. The
drink has also aroused criticism for its use of caffeine, which can cause physical dependence. A
link has been shown between long-term regular cola intake and osteoporosis in older women
(but not men). This was thought to be due to the presence of phosphoric acid, and the risk was
found to be same for caffeinated and noncaffeinated colas, as well as the same for diet and
sugared colas.
The use of Coca-Cola has also been associated with an increase of tumors in laboratory rats,
based on research by the Ramazzini Foundation in 2006.
A common criticism of Coke based on its allegedly toxic acidity levels has been found to be
baseless by researchers; lawsuits based on these notions have been dismissed by several
American courts for this reason. Although numerous court cases have been filed against The
Coca-Cola Company since the 1920s, alleging that the acidity of the drink is dangerous, no
evidence corroborating this claim has been found. Under normal conditions, scientific evidence
indicates Coca-Cola's acidity causes no immediate harm.
Since 1980 in the U.S., Coke has been made with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an
ingredient. Originally it was used in combination with more expensive cane-sugar, but by late
1984 the formulation was sweetened entirely with HFCS. Some nutritionists caution against
consumption of HFCS because it may aggravate obesity and type-2 diabetes more than cane
sugar. Also, a 2009 study found that almost half of tested samples of commercial HFCS
contained mercury, a toxic substance.
In India, there is a major controversy whether there are pesticides and other harmful chemicals
in bottled products, including Coca-Cola. In 2003 the Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE), a non-governmental organization in New Delhi, said aerated waters produced by soft
drinks manufacturers in India, including multinational giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, contained
toxins including lindane, DDT, malathion and chlorpyrifos  — pesticides that can contribute to
cancer and a breakdown of the immune system. CSE found that the Indian produced Pepsi's
soft drink products had 36 times the level of pesticide residues permitted under European Union
regulations; Coca-Cola's soft drink was found to have 30 times the permitted amount. CSE said
it had tested the same products sold in the U.S. and found no such residues. After the pesticide
allegations were made in 2003, Coca-Cola sales in India declined by 15 percent. In 2004 an
Indian parliamentary committee backed up CSE's findings and a government-appointed
committee was tasked with developing the world's first pesticide standards for soft drinks. The
Coca-Cola Company has responded that its plants filter water to remove potential contaminants
and that its products are tested for pesticides and must meet minimum health standards before
they are distributed. In the Indian state of Kerala sale and production of Coca-Cola, along with
other soft drinks, was initially banned after the allegations, until the High Court in Kerala
overturned ruled that only the federal government can ban food products. Coca-Cola has also
been accused of excessive water usage in India.
The 2008 Ig Nobel Prize (a parody of the Nobel Prizes) in Chemistry was awarded to Sheree
Umpierre, Joseph Hill, and Deborah Anderson, for discovering that Coca-Cola is an effective
spermicide, and to C.Y. Hong, C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang for proving it is not.