The Many Myths Of Coca-Cola
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When Georgia pharmacist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886, it’s highly unlikely that he predicted his humble invention would achieve the status that it enjoys today in the world market. After all, it’s not just a product that sells well; it’s the world’s number one carbonated soft drink.
Still, being an omnipresent product that’s sold in over 200 countries worldwide can have a downside. In the case of Coca-Cola, that downside is embodied by the slew of preposterous rumors that have plagued the product for years. The problem has only grown worse in the internet age, when the most outlandish claim can go viral and become gospel truth in a matter of minutes to millions of people.
What follows are some of the allegations that have been associated with Coca-Cola over the years. Can you tell which statements are true, and which ones are just rumors?
Posted 4 Nov 2009
One of the original ingredients in Coca-Cola was cocaine.
- True
- False
Coca-Cola was originally marketed as a cure-all, which supposedly treated such conditions as headaches,
impotence and morphine addiction, among others. In the late 19th century, it was not uncommon for trace amounts
of cocaine to turn up in medically dubious tonics and potions. As such, the product was named for kola nuts and
extract of coca leaves, the two ingredients that were considered "medicinal" at the time.
A child in Brazil died after drinking Diet Coke and eating Mentos.
- True
- False
This rumor originates from a video clip that circulated on the internet in 2006, which demonstrated the
spectacular result of dropping a Mentos candy into a bottle of Diet Coke. The mixture of carbon dioxide from the
bubbly soda interacts with the porous surface of the candy, causing a hyper-carbonated geyser of Diet Coke foam
to launch high into the air.
Despite this outcome, amateur daredevils the world over were no doubt
disappointed when they drank Diet Coke and chewed Mentos candies, and absolutely nothing happened. This is
because the mere act of chewing a Mentos candy destroys its porous surface, a necessary component in the
formation of the carbon dioxide bubbles. Oh well. Perhaps the Coca-Cola website said it best when they said, “We
strongly advise consumers to treat with skepticism unauthorized or untraceable myths and rumors which they find
on the Internet, since they often, as in this case, turn out to be entirely false.”
Dasani brand bottled water, a Coca-Cola product, does not hydrate properly due to its sodium content.
- True
- False
According to Food and Drug Administration guidelines, if a serving of a food contains less than 5 milligrams
of sodium, the quantity is considered nutritionally insignificant, and is listed in the Nutrition Facts panel as
0 milligrams. Dasani brand bottled water contains 0.5 milligrams of sodium per 8-ounce serving, well within the
FDA’s guidelines.
Coca-Cola contains ingredients that violate Islamic dietary laws.
- True
- False
According to the Coca-Cola website, the company is compliant with the dietary laws of every country in which
they do business. This includes such countries as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Pakistan, whose principal religion
is Islam. Furthermore, the governments of these nations have declared Coca-Cola to be “suitable for consumption
by members of the Muslim community.”
The translation of “Coca-Cola” in Mandarin Chinese is “to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice.”
- True
- False
When Coca-Cola initially ventured into the Chinese market in 1928, there was no literal translation of the
product’s name in the Mandarin dialect. The company chose to address this by finding four Chinese characters
that, when strung together, made the sounds “ko-ka-ko-la” phonetically, without inadvertently creating a phrase
that was comical, nonsensical or worse. After a brief period of experimentation, the correct sequence of
characters was found, and although its literal translation is “to allow the mouth to be able to rejoice,” it can
also read as “something palatable from which one receives pleasure.”
Coca-Cola once recalled a print advertisement that contained a lewd image.
- True
- False
Coca-Cola released an advertisement to the Australian market in 1995 that apparently could have been proofed
a little better. The ad was a simple illustration of a cola bottle in a bed of ice cubes. So far, so good.
Unfortunately, the artist also included a little something extra, and it wasn’t caught until the poster had been
mass-produced and distributed throughout the country. The “something extra” turned out to be the silhouette of a
person performing a lewd act, and it lurked in the shadowy contours of an ice cube. The situation was not helped
by the fact that the poster bore the slogan “Feel The Curves!!” The artist claimed that he had only created the
image as a joke, but he likely stopped laughing when the company fired and sued him, and initiated a recall of
his handiwork at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Mikey” from the 1970’s LIFE cereal television advertisements died from ingesting a fatal blend of Pop Rocks and Coca-Cola.
- True
- False
Three full decades before the Mentos and Diet Coke rumors took hold, American children were terrorized with
gruesome tales of another deadly cocktail, known as Pop Rocks and Coke. The rumor claimed that the combination
of these two ingredients had claimed the life of “Mikey” from the LIFE cereal television commercials, by mixing
in his curmudgeonly belly and causing it to explode, presumably from fatal levels of carbonation. However, this
is completely untrue, and the actor who played “Mikey,” Jon Gilchrist, is not only alive today but gainfully
employed and in possession of a complete and fully functioning digestive system.
Coca-Cola factories were once targeted by terrorist organizations, and trace amounts of poison were found in some cans as a result.
- True
- False
As the Coca-Cola company states on their website, “these rumors are absolutely false.” The statement goes on to say that they have many precautions in place to protect the ingredients used in their products, which are manufactured and distributed at secure facilities.
Coca-Cola can be used in everyday cooking.
- True
- False
Specifically, the Coca-Cola website states that the drink can be used when basting a ham, which produces “a
delicious gravy.” It also claims that the beverage can be used for cooking steak.
Coca-Cola can be used to clean household appliances and cars.
- True
- False
It’s too bad this rumor isn’t true, because it would be very convenient to have a single, low-cost substance
that can clean toilets, car batteries and windshields, while also loosening bolts and removing rust, and then
allow you to wash the grease from your hands when you finish. Sadly, no such product exists, and the Coca-Cola
site suggests that should you wish to use a common household item to clean your refrigerator, then stick to
vinegar.
A tooth left overnight in a glass of Coca-Cola will be fully dissolved by morning.
- True
- False
The acidic nature of Coca-Cola is probably what makes this rumor seem believable. However, it is just that, a
rumor. Acidic content can be found in many beverages, including natural ones like buttermilk and fruit juice.
However, little children are not routinely warned of the dire permanent consequences that will befall their
smiles if they drink too much Tropicana.
Your score:
- Coca-Cola Classic You're bold, refreshing and able to spot a myth from a mile away.
Check for latest showtimes - Diet Coke You're low in calories and a bit of an acquired taste.
Check for latest showtimes - New Coke You lack both flavor and fizz. Back to the drawing board.
Check for latest showtimes
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
