Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola (also known as Coke, a name which was trademarked by The Coca-Cola Company after it was discovered many people called it by that particular name) is a very popular cola, a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by the Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO), which is also often referred to as simply Coca-Cola or Coke. Coke is one of the world's most recognizable and widely sold commercial brands; its major rival is Pepsi.

Criticisms

Acidity

Coca-Cola has been the target of urban legends decrying the drink for its supposedly copious amounts of acid (its pH value of 2.5 is midway between vinegar and gastric acid), or the "life-threatening" effects of its carbonated water. These urban legends usually take the form of "fun facts" — for example, "highway troopers use Coke to clean blood from highways after accidents, "somebody once died in a Coke-drinking competition," or "Coke can dissolve a tooth overnight". All of these claims are false. (While Highway Troopers do not use Coca-Cola for this purpose, it was proven on the television program MythBusters that Coca-Cola can be used quite well as a blood cleaning agent.) Evidence has been presented in numerous cases against Coca-Cola since the 1920s that decisively proves that the drink is not more harmful than comparable soft drinks. Under normal conditions, its acidity causes no immediate harm.{{ref|myths}} A 2005 experiment by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry found the pH of the mouth to be 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7 5, 10 and 20 minutes (respectively) after swishing 15ml in the mouth for one minute. None of those are in the critical range to damage tooth enamel. Diet Coke was found to be slightly less acidic. http://www.aapd.org/searcharticles/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=326

Related Topics:
Urban legends - Acid - PH - Vinegar - Gastric acid - Carbonated water - Highway trooper - MythBusters - 1920s - American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry - Tooth enamel - Diet Coke

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One unusual use for Coke is as a rust-control substance—the phosphoric acid in coke converts iron oxide to iron phosphate, and as such can be used as an initial treatment for corroded iron and steel objects being renovated, etc. It has also been experimentally used as a pesticide by Indian farmers in Andhra Pradesh.{{ref|grow}}

Related Topics:
Phosphoric acid - Iron oxide - Iron phosphate - India - Andhra Pradesh

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The numerous urban legends about Coca-Cola have led the Urban Legends Reference Pages to devote a whole section of their site to "Cokelore". One false legend claims that Coke was once green, or was accidentally carbonated when a clerk squirted syrup into the wrong glass.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adverse long-term health effects

While many nutritionists believe that "soft drinks and other calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods can fit into a good diet", it is generally agreed that Coca-Cola and other soft drinks can be harmful if consumed to excess, particularly to young children whose soda consumption competes with, rather than complements, a balanced diet.{{ref|candy}} Studies have shown that regular soft drink users have a lower intake of calcium (which can contribute to osteoporosis), magnesium, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and vitamin A.{{ref|Calcium}}

Related Topics:
Nutritionists - Calcium - Osteoporosis - Magnesium - Ascorbic acid - Riboflavin - Vitamin A

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The drink has also aroused criticism for its use of phosphoric acid{{ref|Bone}} and caffeine.{{ref|Caffeine}} The soft drink industry dismisses many of these criticisms as urban myths.{{ref|Rumors}}

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are some reports that Coca-Cola is addictive, although the veracity of these reports has yet to be established.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For more, see phosphoric acid in food.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since the late 80's in the US Coke has been made with high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar glucose/fructose. This was done largly due the prices of sugar increasing during these times. There are some groups who criticize this move to use high fructose corn syrup over sugar due to the fact that the corn in which the corn syrup is maintained may come from genetically altered plants.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Business practices

Main article:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the largest seller of soft drinks in the world, including its flagship Coca-Cola drink, the Coca-Cola Company has been criticized for some of its corporate actions, from issues such as monopolistic practices, reliance on low health standards, racist employment practices, the privatization of water supplies, to the abuse of workers' rights, including the assassination of union members. There are many criticisms of both the company's products and trade practices.

Related Topics:
Monopolistic - Health - Racist - Assassination - Union

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• A number of universities in the UK boycott Coca-Cola products for concerns over human rights abuses.
• In India, the corporation has provoked a number of boycotts and protests as a result of its perceived low standards of hygiene and adverse impact on the environment.
• Coca-Cola was denounced in the UK for weaning young children onto junk food.
• In Colombia, the company is alleged to be responsible for 179 major human rights violations, including nine murders.