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Though a beloved drink to many, Coca-Cola has a long and dark history full of scandals.
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Coca-Cola was initially created as a medicinal tonic containing cocaine.
A dope head’s dream: Coca-Cola was invented by a morphine-addicted pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton in the 19th century.
Pemberton’s secret ingredient: coca leaf extract.
The extract packed a potent punch, courtesy of cocaine, which was legal at the time.
Pemberton claimed the cocaine cured his addiction, and he advertised his drink as a brain tonic.
One serving of Coca-Cola contained an average of nine milligrams of cocaine swirling in each serving.
Formula reformulation: By 1903, cocaine was getting some serious scrutiny from the prohibitionists and the government.
Cocaine was shown the door, and Coca-Cola reformulated its beverage with a high dose of caffeine instead. The company would still continue to use a decocainized version of the coca leaf extract for taste, of course.
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Fanta was originally created by Coca-Cola’s German branch during World War II.
Nazi origins: Fanta was invented in Germany during WW2.
There was scarcity of ingredients needed to make Coca-Cola as the US military withheld Coca-Cola syrup from the Third Reich. The syrup was crucial for making Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola’s German branch got creative. They created Fanta with local ingredients that could be sourced from the German countryside.
The ingredients:
Unethical Success: The orange soda was the only way for Coca-Cola to survive doing business in Nazi Germany during the war.
Many still question why Coca-Cola would continue doing business with such a horrible regime.
Coca-Cola was notorious for reinforcing racial segregation in the early 20th century.
Racist past: Coca-Cola’s marketing in the early 20th century reinforced prevailing racial attitudes and stereotypes of the time.
They maintained segregated facilities and didn’t like to hire African American workers overall.
Changing with the times: Over time, Coca-Cola began to change its practices in response to culture change and new laws being passed. They also had many racial discrimination lawsuits to deal with.
They would eventually have a more inclusive workforce.
But would continue to be criticized, especially for operating in apartheid South Africa.
In the early 2000s, Coca-Cola sparked a significant water crisis in India—being accused of depleting local groundwater supplies.
The water usage controversy: Coca-Cola was accused of excessive water usage in its bottling plants. Locals accused them of draining local groundwater supplies. Communities near bottling plants were reporting shortages of water.
They were also accused of contributing to drought conditions. This affected local farmers and residents that relied on the water.
The response: Backlash against Coca-Cola’s operations grew with complaints about the water common.
Locals argued corporate interests were prioritized over community rights to the water.
Coca-Cola was forced to confront the issue directly and served as a wake-up call for the company. The company pledged to work on a strategy for better sustainable water management practices. Especially in water-stressed regions.
In the early 2000s, Coca-Cola faced severe allegations of union busting in Colombia.
Serious accusations: The Coca-Cola Company was accused of anti-union practices and violence against union leaders.
The case drew international attention and was a PR nightmare for the organization.
Legal action: Suits would be fired and brought to the United States. However, the legal action in the US was dismissed due to technicalities.
The controversy damaged Coca-Cola’s reputation in Latin America, especially in Colombia.
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