Coca-Cola: An Unpleasant History

Since its modest beginnings, the Coca-Cola drink has faced attacks from a number of fronts. Are these attacks validated? Overall, Coca-Cola, also called Coke, outsells its competitors, most notably Pepsi, in most areas of the world and boasts sales in over 200 countries. Claiming primacy as the first cola drink, the beverage has attempted to refute all arguments against it. In the decades following its incorporation, Coca-Cola would prove what heights they were willing to climb for success.

           
In World War II, the Coca-Cola Company took sides. It was an infamous move by then CEO, Max Keith. Yearning to spread the trademark beverage without regard to ethnicity, ideology, or government, Coca-Cola made relations with Nazi Germany and set up 43 plants in 1939. This marketing strategy resulted in the Nazi promotion of the drink throughout their invasion of Europe. One proof of this is that Coca-Cola opened a bottling plant in Sudetenland shortly after its Nazi occupation. Further allegations say that Keith accepted foreign labor provided by the Nazi government. This would have included a variety of refugees from the war who were forced by the Nazis to provide slave labor in 1944. Though information surrounding this claim is disputed, Coca-Cola in the U.S. did, in fact, pay into a compensation fund for those forced to work for the Nazis.

           
Coca-Cola removed cocaine from its products in 1903, but the Coca-Cola drink continues to contain controversial ingredients in its formula such as phosphorous, sodium benzoate, and caffeine. These ingredients have been deemed harmful by health authorities. Coke products are high in phosphorus, shown to deplete calcium in bones when over-consumed, making the drink a potential factor for osteoporosis. The additive sodium benzoate, found in Coke products throughout the majority of countries including the U.S., has been linked to hyperactivity and DNA damage. Furthermore, caffeine, though approved for use by the Federal Drug Administrative (FDA), has been linked to the development of arthritis. Furthermore, researchers have concluded that sugar in sweetened drinks such as Coca-Cola is closely related to obesity in children.

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At the behest of these health concerns, the Coca-Cola Company produced accommodating variants of the original drink. A newer version was offered: sugar-free Diet Coke. Aspartame, which replaced sugar in Diet Coke, has a puzzling past. In the years prior to its induction into the Coca-Cola formula, the FDA approved aspartame as an additive despite being a well recognized drug. Concluding that aspartame was fit for human consumption, the FDA approved its application in food. Contending this, however, is a Board of Inquiry Report from 1977, published by the FDA, that includes 92 possible harmful side effects, including fatigue, seizures, and even death. When choosing between Classic and Diet Coke, it’s difficult to know if one is better for the health.

           
Coca-Cola has seen its share of praises as well as criticisms. Syrups used in making Coke are also sold in pharmacies as an over-the-counter-remedy for upset stomach. The drink’s inventor, John Pemberton, claimed it could cure headaches, chronic fatigue, and even addiction, yet Coca-Cola has stuck to its role of being strictly a business. People may note the Coca-Cola Company’s profitable history, but they must decide for themselves to what extent it impacts their lives.