This is the reason why Coca-Cola tastes different when travelling abroad
It’s one of the most iconic brands in the world, but ordering a Coke outside of the US can give you a very different experience.
Earlier this week President Donald Trump announced that he had encouraged Coca-Cola to change the recipe for its world-famous beverage.
“I have been speaking to Coca-Cola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so. I’d like to thank all of those in authority at Coca-Cola,” Trump said on social media. “This will be a very good move by them – You’ll see. It’s just better!”
The company already uses sugar cane in its drinks in Mexico and United Kingdom, among other countries. But is that the only ingredient that changes around the world? A post from The Perfect Answers on Medium outlined the many, many ways in which the product can differ in different locations.
Wherever you are the world, Coca-Cola will basically be made up from a few broad ingredient types: carbonated water, a sugar, caffeine, phosphoric acid, caramel color and natural flavors. However the exact specification of these substances changes.
In the United States, Coca-Cola was been using fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. However elsewhere the company may use cane sugar or beet sugar, both of which would give a different taste and texture to the drink.
Of course, around 90% of the Coca-Cola is simply water and the source of the water can have a real baring on the drink. Factors like pH level, treatment method and mineral content can all influence how the finished product tastes.
In the United States, the soft drinks market is worth an estimated $285 billion per year and Coca-Cola is, by some distance, the market leader. Any change to the recipe could have far-reaching implications, both to the consumers and to each step of the production process involving in make the iconic carbonated drink.
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