Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a sold in stores, restaurants and worldwide ( claims that it is sold in over 200 countries  [1] ). It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in, and is often referred to simply as Coke or (in European and American countries) as Cola or Pop. Originally intended as a when it was invented in the late 19th century by, Coca-Cola was bought out by businessman , whose marketing tactics led Coke to its dominance of the world soft drink market throughout the 20th century.

The company produces, which is then sold to various 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 in cans and bottles to retail stores and vending machines. Such bottlers include, which is the largest single Coca-Cola bottler in North America and western Europe. The Coca-Cola Company also sells concentrate for fountain sales to major restaurants and distributors.

The Coca-Cola Company has, on occasion, introduced other cola drinks under the Coke brand name. The most common of these is, which has become a major. However, others exist, including Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola,, , , and special editions with lemon and with lime and even with coffee.

In response to consumer insistence on a more natural product, the company is in the process of phasing out, or , the controversial additive linked to DNA damage and hyperactivity in children, of Diet Coke. The company has stated that it plans to remove the controversial additive from its other products — including, and - as soon as a satisfactory alternative is discovered.  [2]

History
The first Coca-Cola recipe was invented in, at a drugstore by , originally as a called in 1885.  [3] He may have been inspired by the formidable success of, a cocawine.

In 1886, when and passed legislation, Pemberton responded by developing Coca-Cola, essentially a non-alcoholic version of French Wine Cola.  [4] The first sales were at Jacob's Pharmacy in, , on May 8, 1886.  [5] It was initially sold as a patent medicine for five  [6] a glass at, which were popular in the at the time due to the belief that was good for the health.  [7] Pemberton claimed Coca-Cola cured many diseases, including addiction,, , , and. Pemberton ran the first advertisement for the beverage on May 29 of the same year in the Atlanta Journal.  [8]

By 1888, three versions of Coca-Cola — sold by three separate businesses — were on the market. acquired a stake in Pemberton's company in 1887 and incorporated it as the in 1888.  [9] The same year, while suffering from an ongoing addiction to, Pemberton sold the rights a second time to four more businessmen: , A.O. Murphey, C.O. Mullahy and E.H. Bloodworth. Meanwhile, Pemberton's alcoholic son began selling his own version of the product.  [10]

In an attempt to clarify the situation, 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 to the formula from John Pemberton, and. 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.  [11] In 1892, Candler incorporated a second company, (the current corporation), and in 1910, Candler had the earliest records of the company burned, further obscuring its legal origins. Regardless, Candler began marketing the product, although the efficacy of his concerted would not be realized until much later. By the time of its 50th anniversary, the drink had reached the status of a national icon for the USA. In 1935, it was certified by Rabbi, after the company made minor changes in the sourcing of some ingredients.  [12]

Coca-Cola was sold in for the first time on March 12, 1894. of Coke first appeared in 1955.  [13] The first bottling of Coca-Cola occurred in, , 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, TN, Mr. Benjamin F. Thomas and Mr. 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, TN became the site of the first Coca-Cola bottling company.  [14] However, 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—in effect, becoming parent bottlers.  [15]

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.

New Coke

 * Main article: New Coke

On April 23, 1985, Coca-Cola, amid much publicity, attempted to change the of the drink with "New Coke". Follow-up taste tests revealed that most consumers preferred the taste of New Coke to both Coke and Pepsi. Coca-Cola management was unprepared, however, for the nostalgic sentiments the drink aroused in the American public. The new Coca-Cola formula caused a public. Protests caused the company to return to the under the name Coca-Cola Classic on July 10, 1985.

21st century
On February 7, 2005, the Coca-Cola Company announced that in the second quarter of 2005 they planned a launch of a product sweetened with the ("Splenda"), the same sweetener currently used in.  [16] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16"> [17] On March 21, 2005, it announced another diet product, "", sweetened partly with a blend of and. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17"> [18] Recently Coca-Cola has begun 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 for the first time since the boycotted the company in 1968. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18"> [19]

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. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19"> [20] The formula remained unchanged.

Use of stimulants in formula
When launched Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were (benzoylmethyl ecgonine) and. The cocaine was derived from the leaf and the caffeine from — Coca-Cola (the 'K' in Kola was replaced with a C for marketing purposes). <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20"> [21] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21"> [22]

Coca — Cocaine
Pemberton called for five of coca leaf per gallon of syrup, a significant dose, whereas, 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 of per glass, but in 1903 it was removed. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22"> [23] Coca-Cola still contains coca flavoring.

After 1904, Coca-Cola started using, instead of fresh leaves, "spent" leaves — the leftovers of the -extraction process with trace levels left over at a molecular level. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23"> [24] To this day, Coca-Cola uses as an ingredient a -free leaf extract prepared at a plant in.

In the United States, is the only manufacturing plant authorized by the Federal Government to import and process the plant. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24"> [25] Stepan laboratory in, is the nation's only legal commercial importer of coca leaves, which it obtains mainly from and, to a lesser extent,. Besides producing the coca flavoring agent for Coca-Cola, extracts cocaine from the coca leaves, which it sells to, a manufacturer that is the only company in the United States licensed to purify cocaine for medicinal use. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25"> [26] N.J. Stepan buys about 100 metric tons of dried Peruvian coca leaves each year, said Marco Castillo, spokesman for Peru's state-owned National Coca Co. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26"> [27]

Kola Nuts — Caffeine
act as a flavoring in Coca-Cola, but are also the beverage's source of. In Britain, for example, the ingredient label states "Flavourings (Including Caffeine)". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-27"> [28] Kola nuts contain about 2 to 3.5 percent caffeine, are of bitter flavor and are commonly used in. In 1911 The U.S. government initiated, 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 to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances which must be listed on a product's label.

Coca-Cola contains 34 mg/12 fl oz of, while contains 0 mg. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28"> [29] may be used by athletes as - to increasing the capacity for mental or physical labor. The ergogenic qualities of caffeine are contested, although there is strong evidence that it may significantly enhance endurance performance. For this reason, caffeine is listed as a restricted substance by the (IOC). Nevertheless Coca-Cola was the leading sponsor of the 1996 summer Olympic games. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29"> [30]

Formula

 * Main article: Coca-Cola formula

The exact formula of Coca-Cola is a famous. The original copy of the formula is held in 's main vault in. Its predecessor, the, was the for the Coca-Cola Company's in 1919. A popular myth states that only two executives have access to the formula, with each executive having only half the formula. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30"> [31] The truth is that while Coca-Cola does have a rule restricting access to only two executives, each knows the entire formula and others, in addition to the prescribed duo, have known the formulation process. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31"> [32]

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 various 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 sugar (or artificial sweeteners) and then carbonate it before filling it into cans and bottles, which the bottlers then sell and distribute to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants and food service distributors. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32"> [33]

The Coca-Cola Company owns minority shares in some of its largest franchises, like, , (CCHBC) and , but fully independent bottlers produce almost half of the volume sold in the world. Since independent bottlers add sugar and sweeteners, the sweetness of the drink differs in various parts of the world, to cater for local tastes. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-33"> [34]

Logo design
The famous Coca-Cola was created by John Pemberton's bookkeeper,, in 1885. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34"> [35] It was Robinson who came up with the name, and he also chose the logo’s distinctive cursive script. The used, known as, was developed in the mid 19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the during that period.

Robinson also played a significant role in early Coca-Cola. His promotional suggestions to Pemberton included giving away thousands of free drink coupons and plastering the city of with publicity banners and signs. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35"> [36]

The Coca-Cola "contour bottle" design
The equally famous Coca-Cola bottle, called the "" within the company, but known to some as the "" bottle, was created in 1915 by bottle designer,. In 1915, the launched a competition among its bottle suppliers to create a new bottle for the beverage that would distinguish it from other beverage bottles... "a bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, even if broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36"> [37]

, president of, turned the project over to members of his supervisory staff including company auditor T. Clyde Edwards, plant superintendent Alexander Samuelsson and , bottle designer and supervisor of the bottle molding room. Root and his subordinates decided to base the bottle’s design on one of the soda’s two ingredients, the or the, but were unaware of what either ingredient looked like. Dean and Edwards went to the and were unable to find any information about coca or cola. Instead they were inspired by a picture of the gourd-shaped in the which Chapman Root approved as the model for the. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37"> [38] Faced with the upcoming scheduled maintenance of the mold-making machinery, over the next 24 hours Dean sketched out and created the mold for the bottle. Dean then molded a small number of bottles before the glass-molding machinery was turned off.

Chapman Root approved the prototype bottle and a was issued on the bottle in November, 1915. The bottle was chosen over other entries at the bottler’s convention in 1916 and was on the market the same year. By 1920, Dean’s contoured bottle became the standard for the. Today, the contour Coca-Cola bottle is one of the most recognized packages on the planet..."even in the dark!" <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38"> [39]

As a reward for his efforts, Dean was offered a choice between a $500 bonus or a lifetime job at. He chose the lifetime job and kept it until the bought out in the mid 1930s. Dean went on to work in other Midwestern glass factories. Although endorsed by some, this version of events is not considered authoritative by many who cite its implausibility as difficult to believe. One alternative depiction has as the inventor of the unique design, but although Loewy did serve as a designer of Coke cans and bottles in later years, he was in the in the year the bottle was invented and did not migrate to the United States until 1919. Others have attributed inspiration for the design not to the cacao pod, but to a. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39"> [40]

In 1997, Coca-Cola also introduced a "contour can", similar in shape to their famous bottle, on a few test markets, including,. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40"> [41] This new can was however never widely released.

A new slim and tall can has begun to appear in Australia as of December 20, 2006, which costs an average of $2AUD. The cans have a distinct resemblance to that are popular with the teenage demographic. It is unknown if this design is of limited edition or may soon replace the current 355 mL cans that have been used in the past (the new slim cans are 300 mL, making the volume to cost ratio even smaller).

In January 2007, Coca-Cola Canada changed "Coca-Cola Classic" labeling, removing the "Classic" designation, leaving only "Coca-Cola". Coca-Cola stated this is merely a name change and the product remains the same. The cans still bear the "Classic" logo in the United States.

Coca-Cola is a registered trademark in most countries around the world and should always be written with the hyphen and not as "Coca Cola". The U.S. trademark was registered in the United States Patent Office on 31 January 1893. In the UK Coca-Cola was registered with the UK Patent Office on 11 July 1922, under registration number 427817. In 2007, Coca-Cola introduced an aluminum can that is designed to look like the original glass Coca-Cola bottles.

In 2007, the company's logo on cans and bottles has changed, retaining the red color and familiar typeface but taking branding back in time by removing much of the clutter on the can, leaving only the logo and a plain white swirl-- the "dynamic ribbon".

In 2008 in some parts of the world, the Coca-Cola plastic bottles for all Coke varieties, including 1.25 and 2 liter bottles was changed with a new plastic screw cap and contoured bottle shape designed to evoke the old glass bottles.

Local competitors
is often second to Coke in terms of sales, but outsells Coca-Cola in some localities. Around the world, some local brands do compete with Coke. In and, , known as in , is a fast growing competitor to Coca-Cola. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41"> [42] On the French island of, , made by brewers of the local Pietra beer, is a growing competitor to Coca-Cola. In the region of, is available. In Peru, outsells Coca-Cola. However, purchased the brand in 1999. In, outsells Coca-Cola during the season. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42"> [43] In, the locally-produced was more popular than Coca-Cola until 2005, when Coca-Cola and Diet Coke began to outpace its sales. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43"> [44] In, Coca-Cola ranked third behind the leader, Pepsi-Cola, and local drink. However, purchased in 1993. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44"> [45] As of 2004, Coca-Cola held a 60.9% market-share in India. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45"> [46], a domestic drink, is served in instead of Coca-Cola, in which there exists a United States embargo. French brand and British brand, popular in the , are a competitor to Coca-Cola. In, is a major competitor to Coca-Cola. In and also many countries of Middle East, and are major competitors to Coca-Cola. In some parts of, or 非常可乐 can be bought. In, the locally-produced is a major competitor to Coca-Cola, as is the inexpensive Mercator Cola, which is sold only in the country's biggest ,. In, RC Cola is an inexpensive competitor. In, Classiko Cola, made by Tiko Group, the largest manufacturing company in the country, is a serious competitor to Coca-Cola in many regions. On the island of, is the top selling soft drink. In the Coca-Cola stated that Pepsi was not its main rival, but rather drinks. <sup class="noprint Template-Fact"> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since September 2007" style="white-space: nowrap">[citation needed]

Advertising
Coke has a 5¢ Coca-Cola ad in on an old building that has survived many years. Originally, Coke sold them a huge amount of paint so that they would not have to buy any more touch-up paint for a very long time. Coke still has some paint stashed up because they want to be sure that that advertisement never completely wears away. <sup class="noprint Template-Fact"> <span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources since November 2008" style="white-space: nowrap">[citation needed] Coca-Cola's advertising has had a significant impact on, and is frequently credited with the "invention" of the modern image of as an old man in red-and-white garments; however, while the company did in fact start promoting this image in the 1930s in its winter advertising campaigns, it was already common before that. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46"> [47] In fact, Coca-Cola was not even the first soft drink company to utilize the modern image Santa Claus in its advertising – used Santa in advertisements for its in 1923 after first using him to sell in 1915. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47"> [48] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48"> [49]

Before Santa Claus, however, Coca-Cola relied on images of smartly-dressed young women to sell its beverages. Coca-Cola's first such advertisement appeared in 1895 and featured a young Bostonian actress named as its spokesperson.

In the 1970s, a song from a Coca-Cola commercial called "", produced by, became a popular.

Coke's advertising is rather pervasive, as one of Woodruff's stated goals was to ensure that everyone on Earth drank Coca-Cola as their preferred beverage. This is especially true in southern areas of the, such as , where Coke was born.

Some of the memorable Coca-Cola between 1960 through 1986, were written and produced by former Atlanta radio veteran ( 1936–1950, 1951–1959) during his career as a producer for the. Many of these early television commercials for Coca-Cola featured, sports heroes, and popular singers of the day.

During the 1980s, ran a series of television advertisements showing people participating in taste tests essentially demonstrating that: "Fifty percent of the participants who said they preferred Coke actually chose the Pepsi". Statisticians were quick to point out the problematic nature of a 50/50 result; that most likely all this really showed was that in blind tests, most people simply cannot tell the difference between Pepsi and Coke. Coca-Cola ran ads to combat Pepsi's ads in an incident sometimes referred to as the cola wars; one of Coke's ads compared the so-called to two deciding which was furrier. Thereafter, Coca-Cola regained its leadership in the market.

was a spokesperson for Coca-Cola from 1989 till the time of her death. She filmed three commercials for the company. In 1994 to commemorate her 5 years with the company, Coca-Cola issued special Selena coke bottles. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49"> [50]

In an attempt to broaden its portfolio, The Coca-Cola Company purchased in 1982. Columbia provided subtle publicity through Coke product placements in many of its films while under Coke's ownership. However, after a few early successes during that time, Columbia began to under-perform, and the company sold the studio to in 1989.

Coca-Cola has gone through a number of different in its long history, including "The pause that refreshes", "I'd like to buy the world a Coke", and "Coke is it" (see ).

In 2006, Coca-Cola introduced, a customer loyalty campaign where consumers earn virtual "points" by entering codes from special marked packages of Coca-Cola products into a website. These points can in turn be redeemed for various prizes or sweepstakes entries. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50"> [51]

"Holidays are coming!"
The "Holidays are coming!" advertisement features a train of red delivery trucks, emblazoned with the Coca-Cola name and decorated with electric lights, driving through a snowy landscape and causing everything that they pass to light up, and people to watch as they pass through. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Sandison_51-0"> [52]

The advertisement faced falling into dis-use in 2001, as the Coca-Cola company restructured its advertising campaigns so that advertising around the world was produced locally in each country, rather than centrally in the company's headquarters in. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52"> [53] However in 2007, the company brought back the campaign after, according to the company, many consumers telephoned its information centre saying that they considered it to mark the beginning of Christmas. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Sandison_51-1"> [52]

The advertisement was created by U.S. advertising agency Doner, and has been part of the company's global advertising campaign for many years. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53"> [54]

Keith Law, a producer and writer of commercials for, was not convinced by Coca-Cola's reintroduction of the advertisement in 2007, saying that "I don't think there's anything Christmassy about HGVs and the commercial is too generic.". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54"> [55]

In 2001, singer recorded the campaign's advertising jingle as a single, Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming), which entered the pop music charts in Germany at #9. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55"> [56] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56"> [57] In 2005, Coca-Cola expanded the advertising campaign to radio, employing several different variations of the jingle. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57"> [58]

Sponsorship of sporting events
Coca-Cola was the first-ever of the, at the 1928 games in and has been an Olympics sponsor ever since. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58"> [59] This corporate sponsorship included the hosted in, which allowed Coca-Cola to spotlight its hometown. Since 1978 Coca-Cola has sponsored each and other competitions organised by FIFA. In fact, one of the tournament trophy: from in 1977 to in 1997 was called "FIFA — Coca Cola Cup". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59"> [60] In addition, Coca-Cola sponsors the annual and for the at in and in Daytona, Florida. Coca-Cola has a long history of sports marketing relationships, which over the years have included, the , and the , as well as with many teams within those leagues. Coca-Cola is the official soft drink of many teams throughout the nation.

In Coca-Cola was one of the official Sponsors of the.

In, Coca-Cola is the main sponsor of , a name given to the three professional divisions below the in (soccer). It is also responsible for the renaming of these divisions — until the advent of Coca-Cola sponsorship, they were referred to as Divisions One, Two and Three. Since 2004, the divisions have been known as The Championship (equiv. of Division 1), League One (equiv. of Div. 2) and League 2 (equiv. of Division 3). This renaming has caused unrest amongst some fans who see it as farcical that the third tier of is now called "League One." In 2005 Coca-Cola launched a competition for the 72 clubs of the football league — it was called "Win a Player". This allowed fans to place 1 vote per day for their beloved club, with 1 entry being chosen at random earning £250,000 for the club. This was repeated in 2006. The "Win A Player" competition was very controversial, as at the end of the 2 competitions, Leeds United AFC had the most votes by more than double, yet they did not win any money to spend on a new player for the club. In 2007 the competition changed to "Buy a Player". This competition allowed fans to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola Zero or Coca-Cola and submit the code on the wrapper on the Coca-Cola website {www.coca-colafootball.co.uk}. This code could then earn anything from 50p to £100,000 for a club of their choice. This competition was favored over the old "Win A Player" competition as it allowed all clubs to win some money, instead of all the money going to one winning club.

In mass media
Coca-Cola has been prominently featured in countless films and television programs. It was a major plot element in films such as One, Two, Three, The Coca-Cola Kid, and The Gods Must Be Crazy. It provides a setting for comical corporate shenanigans in the novel by.

Criticisms

 * Main article: Criticism of Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company has been criticized for its business practices as well as the alleged adverse health effects of its flagship product. A common criticism of Coke based on its allegedly toxic acidity levels has been found to be baseless by researchers; based on these criticisms have been dismissed by several American courts for this reason.

Since there are indications that "soda and sweetened drinks are the main source of calories in [the] American diet," <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60"> [61] most 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, , , , and. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61"> [62] The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of, due to the possibility of. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62"> [63] A link has been shown between long-term regular intake, of which Coca-Cola is the most consumed brand worldwide, and in older women (but not men). <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63"> [64] This was thought to be due to the presence of, and the risk was found to be same for caffeinated and noncaffeinated colas, as well as the same for diet and sugared colas.

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, indicates Coca-Cola's acidity causes no immediate harm. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64"> [65]

There is also some concern regarding the usage of in the production of Coca-Cola. Since 1985 in the U.S., Coke has been made with, instead of sugar glucose or fructose, to reduce costs. This has come under criticism because of concerns that the used to produce may come from genetically altered plants. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65"> [66] Some nutritionists also caution against consumption of high fructose corn syrup because of possible links to obesity and type-2 diabetes. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66"> [67]

In India, there exists a major controversy concerning and other harmful chemicals in bottled products including Coca-Cola. In 2003, the, a in , said produced by soft drinks manufacturers in India, including multinational giants and Coca-Cola, contained toxins including , , and — that can contribute to cancer and a breakdown of the. Tested products included Coke, Pepsi, and several other soft drinks, many produced by The Coca-Cola Company. CSE found that the Indian produced Pepsi's soft drink products had 36 times the level of pesticide residues permitted under 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. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67"> [68] After the pesticide allegations were made in 2003, Coca-Cola sales declined by 15%. 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. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68"> [69] In the Indian state of, sale and production of Coca-Cola, along with other soft drinks, was initially banned, before the High Court in Kerala overturned the ban ruling that only the federal government can ban food products. Coca-Cola has also been accused of excessive water usage in India. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69"> [70]

Coca-Cola as a spermicide
The 2008 (a of the ) in Chemistry was awarded to Sheree Umpierre, Joseph Hill, and Deborah Anderson, for discovering that Coca-Cola is an effective , <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2008_chem1_70-0"> [71] and to C.Y. Hong, C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang for proving it is not. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2008_chem2_71-0"> [72] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2008_chem3_72-0"> [73]

Coca-Cola as a political and corporate symbol
The Coca-Cola drink has a high degree of identification with the United States itself, being considered by some an "American Brand" or to a small extent as an item representing America. The identification with the spread of American culture has led to the pun "". <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73"> [74] The drink is also often a for the Coca-Cola Company.

There are some consumer boycotts of Coca-Cola in due to Coke's early investment in Israel during the (this contrasts sharply to Pepsi which stayed out of Israel). <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74"> [75] and Pepsi have been successful in the Middle East as an alternative.

The as part of their 2005 "Experience The Experience" tour created a "Brick Of Coke". To do this, they put several gallons of Coca-Cola into a pot and boiled it down until the residue left behind could be molded into a brick. <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75"> [76]

Coca-Cola variations

 * Coca-Cola
 * New Coke (renamed Coke II)
 * Diet Coke (also known as Coca-Cola Light)
 * Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola
 * Caffeine-Free Diet Coke
 * Coca-Cola Plus
 * Diet Coke Plus
 * Coca-Cola C2
 * Coca-Cola Zero
 * Coca-Cola Cherry Zero
 * Coca-Cola Cherry
 * Diet Coke Cherry
 * Coca-Cola with Lemon
 * Diet Coke with Lemon
 * Coca-Cola Vanilla Zero
 * Coca-Cola Vanilla
 * Diet Coca-Cola Vanilla
 * Coca-Cola with Lime
 * Diet Coke with Lime
 * Coca-Cola Raspberry
 * Diet Coke Raspberry
 * Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla
 * Diet Coke Cherry Vanilla
 * Coca-Cola Blāk
 * Coca-Cola Citra
 * Diet Coke with Citrus Zest
 * Coca-Cola with Orange (Out June 2007 in the UK)
 * Coca-Cola Ginger
 * Diet Coke Ginger
 * Coca-Cola with Green Tea
 * Diet Coke with Green Tea
 * Coca-Cola With Lemon-Lime

<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-76"> [77]
 * TaB (original Diet Coke, still available in some countries)
 * Passover Coca-Cola — a Coke made with pure instead of.

<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-77"> [78]