FAQs

The taste. Both drinks are sugar free and calorie free. Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar looks and tastes more like Coca‑Cola Classic, while Coca‑Cola Light has a different blend of flavors which gives it a lighter taste.

1. The basic ingredients and process used to make Coca‑Cola are the same in all countries, although people perceive taste in very different ways. It is possible for the same soft drink to vary slightly in taste due to other factors such as the temperature at which it is consumed, the foods with which it is consumed, or the conditions in which it is stored prior to consumption.
2. Get the facts about all our drinks

Here’s the list of ingredients in Coca‑Cola:

• Carbonated water – Approximately 90% of Coca‑Cola is water. The carbonated part is purified carbon dioxide, which gives the drink its “bubbles” or “fizz”.

• Sugar – Coca‑Cola Classic’s sweet taste (and also some of its mouthfeel) comes from sugar. Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar and Coca‑Cola Light are sugar free.

• Caramel colour – A very specific caramel is made especially for Coca‑Cola, to give the drink its characteristic colour.

• Phosphoric Acid – The tartness of Coca‑Cola comes from the use of phosphoric acid.

• Caffeine – The slight bitterness in the taste of Coca‑Cola comes from caffeine

• Natural flavours – The essence of the secret formula of Coca‑Cola is its blend of natural flavours. This is the most protected and secret part of the formula

Did you know? We now offer four colas: 1) Coca‑Cola Classic, our original and iconic cola, 2) Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar, which mow tastes more like Coca‑Cola Classic but without the sugar, 3) Coca‑Cola Light, which is also sugar and calorie free.

Yes. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand recommends that pregnant women shouldn’t have more than 200mg of caffeine a day. A 330ml can of Coca‑Cola Classic contains 32mg of caffeine and a 330ml can of Diet Coke contains 42mg.

People are often surprised to discover there’s less caffeine in Coca‑Cola Classic than the same size serving of coffee or tea.

Rumour-mongers have claimed that Coca‑Cola, due to its acidic nature, can be used to clean toilets and corroded car batteries, loosen rusted bolts and remove rust spots from car bumpers, get rid of grease from clothing and clean road haze from windshields.

It’s true there is a small amount of edible acid present in Coca‑Cola – just as there is in many foods and drinks. And it’s quite possible that this edible acid could do the things the rumour-mongers claim. But we wouldn’t recommend using it for any of these purposes. Just stick to the regular cleaning products…

Did you know? The edible acid in Coca‑Cola is perfectly safe to drink. It’s not even as strong as your natural stomach acid.

Get the facts about all our drinks.

No. Coca‑Cola does not contain cocaine or any other harmful substance, and cocaine has never been an added ingredient in Coca‑Cola.

Find out more about the ingredients in our drinks.

Whether you drink it from a can or a bottle, Coca‑Cola is always the same. It’s the same recipe, the same ingredients and the same manufacturing process every time.

Did you know? Your perception of taste can be influenced by lots of things, like how cold the Coca‑Cola is or whether you drink it straight from the can or pour it into a glass.

There are 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz Coca‑Cola can. Our smaller portion sizes, like our 7.5 oz mini soda can, have less sugar and fewer calories.

Coca‑Cola comes in several sizes (availability varies based on geography).

• 7.5 oz – 25g of sugar and 90 calories
• 8 oz – 26g of sugar and 100 calories
• 8.5 oz – 28g of sugar and 100 calories
• 12 oz – 39g of sugar and 140 calories
• 16 oz – 52g of sugar and 190 calories
• 20 oz – 65g of sugar and 240 calories

Do you have any drinks with fewer calories?

We are committed to making more reduced- and no-sugar versions of many of the drinks you love available and making them easier to find.

• 18 of our 20 top global brands have a reduced- or no-sugar option
• In 2018, there were approximately 400 reformulations around the world
• In the U.S., 250 of the 800+ beverages we offer are reduced- and no-sugar
• 44% of our sparkling soft drink brands come in convenient packages of 250 mL (8.5 oz.) or less.

How is The Coca‑Cola Company reducing sugar from their drinks?

People’s tastes and preferences are changing, so we’re changing, too. Driven by our passion for consumers, we have been shifting our mindset and culture, as well as the way we measure our success, resulting in bold action to transform our portfolio.

• Gradually reducing sugar across our entire portfolio - we are taking action on sugar reduction even where it means changes to our most popular, time-tested products—putting our strength in innovation to work for our consumers’ evolving needs.
• Making smaller, more convenient packages so controlling sugar intake is easier - smaller, more convenient packaging helps people control sugar intake more easily for themselves and their families. Today, about 44% of our sparkling soft drink brands come in convenient packages of 250 mL (8.5 oz.) or less.
• Offering more new drinks that provide benefits like nutrition and hydration - we’re looking for ways, whenever we can, to make many of our beverages better and more nutritious by providing vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, while also introducing more dairy, plant-based beverages and different sweetness level options to meet an increasing range of consumer choices. With this in mind, we launched more than 600 products in 2018 including:
• Sprite Fiber+, a no-sugar drink with dietary fiber and the flavor and refreshment consumers expect from Sprite, was launched in China.
• Coca‑Cola Batch Blends Coffee and Chocolate, a no-sugar beverage combining refreshing Coca‑Cola taste with chocolate and real coffee from Brazil, was launched in Vietna
• Smartwater alkaline, which is ionized to ensure the pH level is 9+, was launched in select U.S. markets.
• Giving people the information they need to make informed choices - we continue to put clear, easy-to-find nutrition information right up front to support informed choices, without the guesswork. We lead the food and beverage industry in voluntary front-of-package calorie labeling.

Is soda bad for you?

People have been enjoying Coca‑Cola for 130 years. They love the unique taste. But, we know people have concerns about eating or drinking too much sugar. That is why we’re taking action should you want less sugar. This includes reducing sugar in more than 500 of our drinks around the world.

And so you have choices to help manage your sugar and calorie intake, we have:

• a variety of great-tasting beverages with reduced or no sugar
• smaller sizes available, like our 7.5-oz. mini soda cans of Coca‑Cola and more
• calorie information right on front of our bottles and cans – right where you can see it

Many of our beverages contain sugar, which has calories. While sugar is fine in moderation, too much of it isn’t good for anyone. Having too many calories, including from soft drinks with sugar, can contribute to weight gain.

If you are concerned about your health or diet, please speak to your doctor.

Do you have sugar-free drinks?

We want to give you choices, so you can decide what’s right for your lifestyle and diet. We offer more than 800 beverages in the U.S. Of these, 250 are reduced- or no-sugar.

Check out these options, including sugar-free soda:

• Diet Coke
• Coke Zero Sugar
• DASANI
• Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea
• smartwater
• Sprite Zero
• vitaminwater zero

How can I tell if I have a sugar-free soda?

We know it’s important for you to have clear nutrition facts about your favorite beverages. That’s why we make it simple and easy to find. Look at the Nutrition Facts label. It’s on the back of every can or bottle and shows how much sugar your drink has.

Our SmartLabel™ QR codes on our products also include nutrition facts about our Coca‑Cola products.

It depends on the drink.

Amount of caffeine in a 330ml can

If you want to avoid caffeine, try one of our other caffeine-free sparkling soft drinks, such as Fanta or Sprite.

Did you know? A mug of tea contains about 75mg of caffeine, while a mug of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine.

How does the caffeine in our cans compare to other drinks? See our caffeine chart

Aspartame is a low-kilojoule sweetener composed of two amino-acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Both of these amino acids are found commonly in protein-containing foods, such as eggs, meat, fish, dairy products and nuts.

Because Aspartame is 180-200 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose), such small amounts are needed to sweeten foods that its energy contribution to the diet is negligible. For example, a mere 190 milligrams of aspartame (about four kilojoules) has the same sweetening power as 40 grams of sugar (680 kilojoules).

Aspartame is available as a tabletop sweetener under the brand names Equal and Nutrasweet. It is also used in low-kilojoule food and beverage products, ranging from soft drinks and chewing gum to gelatins, confectionary, desserts, yoghurts and sugar-free cough drops.

Aspartame contains phenylalanine and should not be consumed by people with a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU). Food and beverage products that contain aspartame carry a statement on the label alerting people with this condition to the presence of phenylalanine. But the fact that a small portion of the population has this rare condition does not mean in any way that aspartame is unsafe for other consumers.

For people without this condition, aspartame is safe. 200+ scientific studies support its safety. 

Artificial sweeteners (sometimes called sugar alternatives) can replace sugar in foods and drinks to give you a sweet taste but with few or no calories. They are often several hundred times sweeter than sugar. So compared to sugar, only a little is needed for the same sweet taste.

We use sugar substitutes because while sugar in moderation is fine, too much sugar isn’t good for anyone. We know people have concerns about eating or drinking too much sugar. That is why we’re taking action should you want less of it. This includes reducing sugar in more than 500 drinks around the world.

Do you use artificial sweeteners?

Yes. We are always rethinking many of our recipes to give you options with less sugar and fewer or no calories. To do this, we use a range of artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, like Stevia leaf extract and aspartame. Each has its own unique taste and is often several hundred times sweeter than sugar. So compared to sugar, only a little is needed for the same sweet taste.

*While sugar also has 16 calories per teaspoon, you don't need as much aspartame to get the same sweet taste you love.

Which artificial sweeteners does The Coca‑Cola Company use?

We use a number of different sugar alternatives in our drinks, including:

• Acesulfame potassium

• Brand names - Sweet One®, Sunett®

• Calories – 0

• Sweetness - 200x sweeter than sugar

• Aspartame

• Brand names - Nutrasweet®, Equal®

• Calories – 16 calories per teaspoon*

• Sweetness - 200x sweeter than sugar

• Stevia leaf extract

• Brand names - Truvia®, PureVia®

• Calories – 0 calories per teaspoon

• 200x to 400x sweeter than sugar

• Sucralose

• Brand names - SPLENDA®

• 0 calories per teaspoon

• 600x sweeter than sugar

Why does The Coca‑Cola Company use artificial sweeteners?

We want to give you choices, so you can decide what’s right for your lifestyle and diet. We offer more than 800 beverages in the U.S. Of these, 250 are reduced- or no-sugar.

We want to give you great-tasting choices with fewer or no calories. We also use sugar substitutes because they are confirmed safe by the FDA and thoroughly tested in scientific studies.

Can drinking soft drinks with sugar alternatives make you fat?

No. Sugar alternatives are used in place of sugar in many foods and drinks to provide people with a reduced, low, or no sugar and calorie option. Because sugar alternatives provide a sweet taste with few or no calories, they can help people manage their calorie intake.

We believe that a balanced lifestyle is key to successful weight management. We use sugar alternatives in some of our products because we know that many people want the choice of great tasting beverages with less sugar and fewer calories.

All our beverages can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.

Can low-calorie or zero sugar drinks can make you crave other sweet things?

Many people enjoy sweet tastes from time to time, and that’s normal. The sweet taste of [Coca‑Cola Light / Diet Coke] is an important part of what makes it unique. We believe that when all the research is taken into account, it shows that sugar alternatives used in drinks like [Coca‑Cola Light / Diet Coke] do not increase people’s appetite for sweet things.

It’s important to us to make sure that we offer a wide range of beverage choices that suit different tastes and lifestyles.

Yes.

We use additives in some of our drinks, including Coca‑Cola Classic, to give them flavour and colour and increase their appeal. Only additives that are known and proven to be safe make it into our drinks.

Did you know? Additives are not necessarily artificial. Additives including citric acid, asborbic acid and cochineal are all found in nature.

Coca‑Cola does not contain any ingredients derived from animal sources and can be included in a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Products that are suitable for vegans: Coke Classic, Coke Vanilla, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Coke No Sugar, Fanta Orange, Fanta Jelly Fizz, Sprite, Powerade, Powerade Zero, Lift, Appletiser & Grapetiser, Coke Raspberry, Fanta Passionfruit Cream.

The BARISTA BROS flavoured milk range does contain dairy ingredients.

Find out more about other health advice here.

Yes.

Our drinks do not contain any gluten if you have gluten intolerance or coeliac disease, you should consult your doctor.

139 calories. This represents 7% of the calories an average adult should eat and drink in a day to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. This is known as the daily reference intake (RI).

Get all the facts about Coca‑Cola Classic 

Many of our beverages contain sugar, which has kilojoules. While sugar is fine in moderation, too much of it isn’t good for anyone. Having too many kilojoules, including from soft drinks with sugar, can contribute to weight gain.

Like all food and beverages, soft drinks with sugar can be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle as long as people don’t consume them to excess.

People have been enjoying our beverages for 130 years because they love the taste. It’s important to us to make sure that consumers have a choice, to help them manage their sugar and kilojoule intake. That is why we offer a variety of great-tasting beverages with reduced, low or no sugar and calories. That’s also why many of our beverages come in small pack sizes.

We also provide information on how much sugar and how many kilojoules are in our beverages, so people can choose what makes sense for them and their families.

Learn more about what Coca‑Cola is doing to reduce sugar and help consumers make the right choice.

No, Coca‑Cola won’t dissolve meat overnight – though it can be used to make a delicious marinade. The flavor of the Coca‑Cola in a marinade adds to the taste of the meat, and the sugar helps the meat to brown when grilled. There are plenty of recipes for Coca‑Cola marinades available online.

We are getting there. Our goal is to make all of our packaging 100% recyclable globally by 2025 and to use at least 50% recycled material in our packaging by 2030. This is one of three strategic pillars of our World Without Waste initiative –an ambitious sustainable packaging program that envisions a world with a circular plastics economy where bottles and cans live beyond their useful life by being recycled or repurposed.

Our Progress

• 87% of our packaging is recyclable, up from 85% at the beginning of 2018

• In some countries, we now use more than 25% recycled materials in our bottles and cans.

• In three countries, we already sell a plastic bottle made from 100% recycled material.

To learn more, please visit Sustainable Packaging.

Yes. We’re aware there are hoax emails and text messages in circulation that claim – quite falsely – to belong to a Coca‑Cola promotion. They’re scams designed to extract financial information from you. So please ignore them.

Signs of a hoax Coca‑Cola email

• looks official and appears to come from a financial institution

• contains a claim number and may even include a false cheque that appears to be from Coca‑Cola

• has spelling and grammar errors

• uses improper company trademarks

• is sent from a free, non-corporate email account

• asks for personal information and promises a quick financial gain.

Please be vigilant and, if you have any concerns, get in touch