More recently, the secret of the most popular drink in the world has been revealed. Since 1886, the creators of Coca-Cola have kept the secret of the formula of this product in strict confidence.
“Sugar, caffeine, phosphoric acid, carbon dioxide, caramel and Coca-Cola extract - this composition has long been indicated on the label of this drink. But what a strange extract, nobody knew.
Cola was originally made from coca leaf and the nut of the tropical cola tree. Hence the name itself. American pharmacist John Pemberton began to dilute this syrup with water and sell it. However, it was not very popular for a long time. According to legend, one of the customers, suffering from a severe hangover, asked to dilute the syrup not with water, as was usually done, but with soda. Since then, cola has earned such incredible popularity.
In 1903, due to the ban on the use of cocaine stimulants, the Coca-Cola Company changed the recipe. Fresh coca leaves were replaced with dry ones, in which cocaine was completely absent. There is an opinion that the recipe was kept for a long time in a special safe, to which only the top management of the company had access. The unknown extract was said to include a whole mixture of oils: lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, lime and coriander.
And only about a year ago, the secret of ingredient X was revealed. All that was needed was to file a lawsuit against the company, which was done by the Turkish Foundation of St. Nicholas. In accordance with the legislation of the country, any manufacturer must be sure to indicate the complete composition of the product. The mysterious ingredient is believed to be naturally derived from cochineal worms. In the food industry, it is called carminic acid (E-120). The females of these insects are used to obtain paint - red carmine. The most valuable is the Mexican cochineal. But there was no official confirmation of this version. The manufacturer said it added regular burnt sugar to its product.
It turns out that the composition of Coca-Cola is still a mystery, because there are different versions about this. But one thing can be said with complete certainty: there is no cellophane or cocaine in the cola. And decayed teeth, organs covered with ulcers are another myth. But to get carried away with Coca-Cola, like any other product, is not worth it, because there should be a measure in everything.
