Simon Cotton takes a look at those compounds that find themselves in the news or relate to our everyday lives.
Does it contain cocaine?
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The formula for Coca-Cola is a closely-guarded secret
Originally it did. It was developed from a 19th century Italian tonic wine calledVin Mariani, made by mixing red wine with coca leaves. The dissolved cocaine gave the wine stimulant properties. An alcohol-free version was developed by John Pemberton, a former US Confederate soldier, in 1886 using coca leaves and cola nuts, which provided the stimulants cocaine and caffeine respectively. For the past century, however, the manufacturers have used coca leaves from which all the cocaine has already been extracted.
So what is in it?
The formula is a closely-guarded secret, but there's caffeine as a stimulant, caramel for colouring, vanilla and cinnamon for flavouring, and a host of other substances, including phosphoric acid.
How acidic is co*ke?
Its pH is reported to be 2.6 to 2.7, mainly due to H3PO4, phosphoric acid. As a fizzy drink, it contains plenty of dissolved carbon dioxide, but this makes very little contribution to the acidity.
Will it dissolve nails?
That's an urban myth, though it will clean rust from steel nails; more reactive metals such as magnesium slowly dissolve in it, though.
Surely all that acid is bad for you?
Drinking sugary, fizzy drinks every day isn't necessarily a good plan, but recent research by Moses Elisaf and his colleagues at the University of Ioannina, Greece, has indicated that consuming large quantities creates problems, as blood potassium levels can drop dangerously low (hypokalaemia). An Australian ostrich farmer who drank 4-10 litres of cola a day needed emergency care for lung paralysis, whilst a pregnant woman who regularly drank up to three litres a day had an irregular heartbeat (both recovered).
Sounds more dangerous than the co*ke-Mentos reaction!
When Mentos are dropped into fresh bottles of fizzy drinks - traditionally Diet co*ke (but other fizzy drinks can be substituted) - a huge fountain is produced which is quite spectacular. The science of the reaction has been investigated by many people, and Tonya Shea Coffey of the Appalachian State University in North Carolina published a detailed study in the American Journal of Physics.
No chemical reaction is involved, the bubble formation is just due to CO2 undissolving from solution. The rough surface of the Mentos provides lots of tiny sites for bubbles to start forming, and the presence of aspartame sweetener and potassium benzoate preservative in Diet co*ke, and gum arabic surfactant in the Mentos, help make bubble formation easier by reducing the contact angle. Still dangerous, mind you, if you don't get your head out of the way quickly!
FAQs
Back on May 8, 1886, the world's first Coca-Cola was served at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the creation of Dr. John Pemberton as a tonic for common ailments. He likely had no idea what was in store for his product, the company, and an industry that would grow into the giant it is today.
Which country owns co*ke? ›
The Coca-Cola Company is an American corporation founded in 1892 and today engaged primarily in the manufacture and sale of syrup and concentrate for Coca-Cola, a sweetened carbonated beverage that is a cultural institution in the United States and a global symbol of American tastes.
Is Pepsi owned by Coca-Cola? ›
Pepsi is not owned by Coca-Cola. The two companies have competed for more than 100 years and are the world's biggest beverage companies. They effectively have a duopoly in the beverages sector, though they do compete with smaller companies like Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ:KDP).
Does co*ke own Dr Pepper? ›
Strangely, Dr Pepper is only owned by Coca Cola in its European and South Korean markets. Everywhere else it is sold is managed by the Keurig Dr Pepper company. Oli joined the Latest News team in 2021, taking an interest in economics, world news, and articles that build from his study of history.
What is the oldest soda? ›
Vernor's boasts the oldest soda in America, but not the world. That belongs to Schweppe's, who created a carbonated mineral water in 1783. Other old sodas include Hires Root Beer (1876), Moxie 1876, Dr. Pepper (1885) Coca-Cola (1886) and Pepsi (1893.
Who came out first co*ke or Pepsi? ›
co*ke was the first soda ever created back in 1886. Then, in 1898, a rivalry that would span decades was born as soon as Pepsi hit the market. Today, each brand has a strong and distinct presence thanks to individual marketing strategies that make them obviously different from one another.
Who is the real owner of Coca-Cola? ›
The Coca‑Cola Company is a public company that trades its shares on the New York stock exchange - so we are 'owned' by our thousands of shareholders and investors around the world. Did you know? The first Coca‑Cola shares were issued in 1919 and the initial stock symbol used for The Coca‑Cola Company was CCO.
What is the only country that does not sell Coca-Cola? ›
Fun Fact of the day:
North Korea and Cuba are the only places you can't buy Coca-Cola.
Who owns most of Coca-Cola? ›
Coca-Cola (KO) Ownership Overview
The ownership structure of Coca-Cola (KO) stock is a mix of institutional, retail and individual investors. Approximately 36.47% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 5.83% is owned by Insiders and 57.70% is owned by Public Companies and Individual Investors.
Who is richer Coca-Cola or Pepsi? ›
The brand co*ke is owned by The Coca-Cola Company, along with numerous other soft drinks. In terms of overall size, PepsiCo has a market capitalization (the value of all outstanding common shares) of $232 Billion USD while the Coca-Cola Company has a market capitalization of $256 Billion USD.
Which brand currently dominates the market share worldwide, co*ke or Pepsi? As of 2021, co*ke dominates the market share worldwide with a share of around 48%, while Pepsi has a share of approximately 20.5%.
Is Dr Pepper owned by co*ke or Pepsi? ›
Upon the failure of the Coca-Cola merger, Dr Pepper and Seven Up merged (creating Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., or DPSU), giving up international branding rights in the process. After the DPSU merger, Coca-Cola obtained most non-US rights to the Dr Pepper name (with PepsiCo taking the Seven Up rights).
How and why was Coca-Cola invented? ›
Coca-Cola was accidentally discovered in 1886 by a pharmacist named John Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. He was trying to create a cure for headaches and came up with a syrup made from coca leaves and kola nuts, which he mixed with carbonated water.
Why did John create Coca-Cola? ›
His efforts to control his chronic pain led to morphine addiction. In an attempt to curb his addiction he began to experiment with various painkillers and toxins. The development of an earlier beverage blending alcohol and cocaine led to the recipe that later was adapted to make Coca-Cola.
Why was Pepsi invented? ›
Bradham sought to create a fountain drink that was appealing and would aid in digestion and boost energy. In 1903, Bradham moved the bottling of Pepsi from his drugstore to a rented warehouse. That year, Bradham sold 7,968 gallons of syrup.
What invented Coca-Cola? ›
In May 1886, Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist in Atlanta, Georgia, created the syrup for Coca‑Cola. He carried a jug of the new product down the street to Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta.
