News, 25 years since Coca-Cola's big blunder. (health, coke, Pepsi, syrup)

[John1960]

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Twenty-five years ago Friday, Coca-Cola executives stepped up to a podium at the company's headquarters and told the world that the old Coke formula was being shelved in favor of something called "New Coke." As the ads said, you were gonna love it.

25 years since Coca-Cola's big blunder *| ajc.com

[Bulldogdad]

The biggest blunder is when they stopped using sugar for fructose syrup. They just dont realize it yet.

[steel7]

fructose syrup is cheaper & has the same nutrition value as sugar.

Coke will real sugar is made in mexico & available at select stores in the u.s. It tastes different with sugar.

[imcurious]

Most of the American public doesn't even realize there is not real sugar in Coke. You can get the Mexican made Coke with sugar in it at Costco and yes, it does taste better.

Soda is bad for you but if you are going to drink it once in awhile, drink the "real thing."

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by bulldogdad

The biggest blunder is when they stopped using sugar for fructose syrup.

The switch from sugar to corn syrup was the reason for New Coke. [/conspiracy theory]

[jasper12]

Coke does not have the same taste I remember back in the 60's.

[schmidty223]

I think coke, pepsi, and rc taste the same... they should just all work together.

[CaptainNJ]

sugar is sugar whether it comes in the form of sugar cane or high fructose corn syrup. it has the same nutritional value. being against high fructose corn syrup in favor of "real sugar" is a joke.

[TabulaRasa]

I love how "real sugar" has suddenly become practically a health food due to the current demonization of HFCS.

Fructose is a "real sugar," too, just like sucrose.

[TexasHorseLady]

Nutritional value and taste are two very different things (says the woman for whom "Coke" was her first word). When they pulled that entire fiasco and simultaneously told us that (a) we'd like New Coke better than the original and (b) we wouldn't be able to tell the difference (um, no - and I had a can of the New Coke a week before it was supposed to be released, tasted it thinking it was the original, handed it to my husband, he tasted it and said, "Throw it out, there's something wrong with it), and THEN tried to tell us they'd gone back to the original recipe with Classic Coke (no, they didn't), they lost a lifelong customer. I went to Dr Pepper and never turned back.

Now you can get various soft drinks with sugar instead of corn syrup, and they sell like hotcakes. And they taste definitely better. Like I said, nutrition is one thing, flavor is something else entirely.

That whole New Coke fiasco is presented in marketing classes as one of the greatest marketing blunders of all time. (Think Edsel.) It's amazing the man didn't lose his job over it.