How to make Coca-Cola at home: a recipe. Coca-Cola's Secret Ingredient

05.08.2019 Meat Dishes

It has happened, it looks like one of the world's most intriguing mysteries has been revealed. Thoroughly hidden since 1886, the Coca-Cola recipe has become public knowledge.

It has happened, it looks like one of the world's most intriguing mysteries has been revealed. Thoroughly hidden since 1886, the Coca-Cola recipe has become public knowledge.

So, here is the secret recipe from Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton: "sugar (% 10.58 W / V), phosphoric acid (0.544 G / L), caffeine (150 MG / L), caramel (% 0.11), carbon dioxide (7.5 G / l) and Coca-Cola extract (% 0.015 W / V) ".



A sensational statement was made by the head of the Peace Council of the St. Nicholas Foundation in Turkey Muammer Karabulut. The organization has sued the company to disclose a secret recipe to protect consumer rights.Earlier in the press, information has already flashed that Coca-Cola contains an extract of various leaves, roots of the mimosa tree and aromatic additives. Meanwhile, according to the results of the study, it was found that this extract is a natural dye "carmine" or a dietary supplement "cochineal" (cochineal), obtained from cochineal worms. In the food industry, it is also known as carminic acid, which is assigned the international index E-120.



Only the lazy one does not reason today about the harm of Coca-Cola. It even became part of "urban folklore". Here are some tales: The active ingredient in Coca-Cola is phosphoric acid, which can dissolve your nails. To transport the Coca-Cola concentrate, the truck must be equipped with special pallets designed for highly corrosive materials. Coca-Cola distributors have been using it to clean their truck engines for 20 years. In many North American states, traffic police always carry two gallons of Coke in their patrol car to flush blood off the highway after an accident. Put a steak in a plate of Coca-Cola and you won't find it there in two days. To clean the toilet, pour a can of Coca-Cola down the sink and leave it on for an hour. To loosen a rusted bolt, dampen a rag with Coca-Cola and wrap it around the bolt for a few minutes. To clean up any dirt on your clothes, pour a can of Coca-Cola over a pile of dirty clothes, add detergent and machine wash as usual.



The cochineal or cochineal scale insect (Coccus cacti) is a Mexican insect from the group of herbaceous aphids of the family scale insects (Coccidae). Red dye is obtained from female Coccus cacti after killing them with acetic acid or high heat.

With the departure of the Soviet regime, many products and phenomena suddenly burst into our lives and gradually became commonplace. One of the products that have turned from an overseas curiosity into an integral part of our daily life is Coca Cola. This drink is drunk by both children and adults. There are many legends around him, often reminiscent of terrible fairy tales. And this is not at all surprising, because the composition of Coca Cola was kept secret for many years. And people are such that if they are not told something, they begin to invent the missing details themselves. Of course, the packaging lists the approximate composition of the product, which includes color, carbon dioxide, caffeine, sugar or sweetener and mysterious natural flavors. But this does not give exhaustive information and a complete answer to the question of what Coca-Cola is made of.

For a more thorough study of the issue, it is perhaps worth going back to 1886, when the pharmacist John Pemberton, a resident of Atlanta, invented a new drink. Its name, invented by the accountant Pemberton, consists of the names of the original ingredients, which were coca leaves and cola nuts, a tropical tree. This mixture was diluted with water and sold at the pharmacy, where, however, it was not very popular. It is impossible to say with complete certainty whether the story of how Coca Cola became carbonated is not a myth. However, it is alleged that one of the visitors to the pharmacy, who suffered from a hangover, asked to add gas to the new drink. Since then, Coca Cola has been used with pleasure as a refreshing and tonic drink. It is worth mentioning that the Coca Cola logo has remained unchanged since the inception of the drink. It was also coined by Pemberton's accountant.

For so many years, the drink, of course, could not remain unchanged, the various ingredients of Coca Cola changed at different times. Until recently, the exact recipe was kept in the strictest confidence by the manufacturer. There is no doubt that the creation of excessive mystery around what Coca Cola is made of served only to benefit the popularity of the drink. Most of the controversy and speculation was caused by the mysterious ingredient "Coca-Cola" extract. It was assumed that it consists of a mixture of components of plant origin, but no one knew the truth. Even the workers at the beverage plant were unable to clarify the situation as the ingredients were mixed under codenames. It turned out that in order to find out what Coca Cola is made of, it was enough to sue the company, which, in fact, was done in Turkey. Representatives of the Turkish Foundation of St. Nicholas said that by law it is obliged to indicate on the packaging the exact composition of the product.

When the world found out what Coca Cola is actually made of, there was no limit to the surprise of drink lovers. Not everyone was pleased to learn that the mysterious ingredient is made from insects. For the production of the natural dye carmine, which is part of Coca Cola, cochineal females are used - an insect belonging to the order of Hemiptera. It turns out that people have been able to get carmine since ancient times, so the Coca Cola makers have not invented anything new.

For especially suspicious people, the fact that an ingredient derived from insects is added to the drink they drink may not be very pleasant. Perhaps this is partly why the component was kept secret for so long. However, one cannot but rejoice in the fact that the carmine dye is of a completely natural origin and is harmless to the body. At least those who like to tell legends about the incredible harm caused to the body by Coca Cola now have much less reason to scare their acquaintances.

Everyone knows about this brand. It is promoted to the limit. Kids and many adults are crazy about this product. Coca-Cola has become for them a kind of breath of happiness. This black water is sold in over 200 countries around the world. Unfortunately, many do not care at all about what Coca-Cola is made of. But in vain. Although this drink is non-alcoholic, it is far from harmless. There are about unhealthy foods.

Back in 1886, a simple American pharmacist from Atlanta first prepared a drink from the leaves of the coca bush and the nuts of an evergreen tropical plant - cola. The pharmacist's name was John Pemberton. The name "Coca-Cola" was invented by his accountant.

The drink was diluted with some water and offered to visitors to the pharmacy. But he was not very popular until a man with a hangover came to the pharmacy and said that it would be nice to add gas to the drink. Since then, it has become carbonated.

Someone believes in this story, while others do not. It was a long time ago and fig knows how everything was really there. One thing is for sure. At the end of the 19th century, people clearly liked Coca-Cola. Otherwise, she would not have received such popularity.

Today the Coca-Cola recipe is kept in strict confidence. Of course! Competitors have been trying to get it for a long time. Only a select few know about him - the leaders of The Coca-Cola Company.

And no one is going to divulge this secret recipe. But they do not hide what this drink is made of. After all, the consumer must know what he is drinking.

What is Coca-Cola made of today?

The composition of the black drink has a long list of ingredients, many of which have such a name that you can break your tongue.

In 2011, in one of the American radio shows, a statement was made that a list of the ingredients that form the basis of the recipe for Coca-Cola was obtained. And this is what they managed to dig up.

Coca-Cola composition

  • Coca bush leaves, or rather, their liquid extract. This bush is also called coca. Cocaine is made from it for medical purposes. Well, you and I also know about another illegal use of this powder.
  • Lemon acid. It is commercially mined by the biosynthesis of sugar by isolated pure bacteria from a mold called Aspergillus niger.
  • Caffeine is a well-known psychostimulant, which is white crystals with a bitter taste. It is added not only to Coca-Cola, but also to many other soft drinks.
  • Purified water. Interestingly, there is very little of it. My friends and I once conducted an experiment by passing a Coke through a water filter. Water there - like a cat wept. Honestly.
  • Juice from a relative of lemon - lime.
  • Vanilla is a spice that is extracted from the fruits of some plants in the family Vanilla.
  • Caramel is a confectionery product that is obtained by heating sugar or boiling a sugar solution with molasses.
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2).
  • Phosphoric acid (E338).
  • Cyclamic acid and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts (E952). It is a sweetener chemical. Scientists have proven that this one can cause bladder cancer in rats. For this reason, in 1969, cyclamates began to be banned in many countries. But 10 years later, WHO recognized it as harmless. They just took it and recognized it ...
  • Sodium benzoate (E211) is a bactericidal and antifungal agent.
  • Acesulfame potassium (E950) is a chemical sweetener.
  • Aspartame (E951) is a chemical sweetener for diabetics.
  • Carmine is a natural dye made from female cochineal (insects). This ingredient was kept secret for a long time, until the Coca-Cola Company was sued in Turkey. This was done by representatives of the St. Nicholas Foundation. Their dissatisfaction was expressed in the fact that the manufacturer did not indicate the exact composition on the label.
  • Merchandise X7 is the company's super-secret ingredient, which has also been declassified. At least that's what the "detectives" who declassified it say.

Merchandise X7 Roster

  1. Ethanol.
  2. Lemon oil derived from the fruit and rind of lemon.
  3. Nutmeg oil
  4. Orange oil derived from the fruit and peel of the orange.
  5. Coriander is a spice that culinary experts also call cilantro.
  6. An essential oil derived from the flowers of the orange tree.
  7. Cinnamon oil, obtained from the evergreen cinnamon tree.

That's what Coca-Cola is made of, guys. As you can see, it is prepared from both natural products and chemistry. I have not drunk Coca-Cola for a very long time and, perhaps, never will.

Coca-Cola is the most expensive modern brand. The logo of this drink is familiar to absolutely everyone, and it is sold in virtually every country in the world. For more than a century of history, once ordinary soda has become a legend, and how Coca-Cola is made is a real secret.

History of the drink

The world's most popular soda was first produced in 1886 by an American pharmacist named Pemberton. His accountant, Robinson, was good at calligraphy. It was he who drew the famous white letters on a red background - the corporate logo that has come down to us unchanged.

It's hard to believe, but initially, the fizzy was sold as a medicine exclusively in pharmacies. According to the pharmacist who invented it, it helped with impotence, allowed to get rid of addiction to morphine and was very useful for people suffering from nervous disorders. What Coca-Cola is made of now has little in common with its first line-up. And it included:

  • coca leaves, three parts (the same leaves from which cocaine is obtained, but at that time its harm was not yet known);
  • tropical cola plant nuts, one part.

Such a composition did not last long, since already in the 90s of the 19th century, cocaine was banned.

What is Coca-Cola made of today?

It is known that the exact recipe of soda is a trade secret and only a select few know it. Popular legends say that the signature recipe is kept in one of the American banks, and only two of the company's chief executives have access to it. In addition, according to popular myth, each of them knows only half of the main recipe.

It is reliably known that the following ingredients are involved in the process of making Coca-Cola:

  • sugar (about 11%);
  • caffeine;
  • E290, aka carbon dioxide;
  • E338, phosphoric acid;
  • E150, sugar color (dye);
  • flavors (cinnamon oil, vanillin, lemon and clove oil).

Such ingredients are attributed to the classic formula of the modern fizzy.

Effects on the body

Fans and opponents of the fizzy actively argue not only about how, from what and where Coca-Cola is made, but about the effect it has on health. Interestingly, officially, there is still no reliable data that could confirm the special harm of this drink for humans in the case of drinking cola in moderation.

Today this drink finds rather unusual uses in cooking, for example, you can cook chicken in Coca-Cola.
  1. People with diabetes (this applies to the classic version of the drink with a high sugar content).
  2. People with gastrointestinal diseases, especially gastritis or ulcers.
  3. Suffering from diseases of the pancreas.
  4. With a deficiency in the body of calcium, as phosphoric acid contributes to its destruction.
  5. With kidney disease.
  6. Overweight people should also refrain from consuming the classic "Cola", because of the large amount of sugar in it.

In general, it should be noted that "Coca-Cola" is in no way more harmful than any other carbonated soft drinks similar to it.

Despite the ongoing controversy over the composition of Coca-Cola and its danger to the body, the company has been thriving on the market for over a century. Most nutritionists agree that it is okay to drink soda infrequently in the absence of health problems.

There was a trial in Turkey with the Coca-Cola company. Judging by the composition of the label, this drink contained: sugar, a certain extract, etc. The extract aroused interest. It turned out that it is from an insect called Cochineal (Cochineal), this extract is made specifically for the drink. This aroused great interest among the Turkish authorities.

The Cochineal insect is found in Mexico in the Canary Islands. In Mexico, they are specially grown; for this, whole fields are created, where pigment is obtained from eggs and females. I call this pigment carmine, which colors the cola brown.

When dried, it looks like a simple raisin, but at first glance, it is actually a dried insect.

Let's figure out what "Cola" means

It is worth starting a story about an employee at a Coca-Cola factory who worked there for 23 years. One of the main ingredients in cola is the malt root. As a rule, mammals and mice feed on these roots. In order to collect more malt roots, cola growers collect them with togas using excavators.

When picking malt roots, mice are harvested as well. And what remains of the mice goes into the drink. But in order for the mass to be homogeneous, and there were no foreign odors, manufacturers add a large amount of chemicals to the drink. And the employee who told about this claimed that during all his work in this company he did not drink a single gram of Coca-Cola.

Also, scientists from Washington found out that the caramel, which should be obtained when melting sugar, is not made in this way at all.

Namely: they are obtained by chemical compounds of ammonia and sulfites, and at high temperatures they synthesize chemical sugar for cola.

This substance is dangerous because it can cause cirrhosis, leukemia and lung cancer. This extract has not been certified in many countries. Therefore, some of the countries do not produce it. Muslims, for example, consider cola forbidden. In India, the sale and consumption of this drink is prohibited. This drink is also banned in several schools in England and Ukraine.

In Asian countries, cola is used as a chemical that kills harmful insects. Can also be used to clean stubborn stains. For this, cola is dripped onto the contaminated place, waited a little and then washed.

It was found that 8,000 glasses of cola are drunk every second around the world.

The manufacturer does not care about the health of the consumer, the result of sales from them is important.

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