If you ask 10 people what is their favorite drink, we can say with certainty that at least 7 of them will tell you the same answer – it is most definitely Coca-Cola.
It is the most sold drink in the world, it is the most popular, all generations love it, and the marketing that stands behind this huge machinery is without the question of the multi-billion industry, that can make us believe that we are not drinking a refreshing drink, but that we consume something more an idea.
The idea of equality, freedom, love, joy, and all other universal values in the world, and just shows how they know what they are doing, as Coca-Cola is an industry that is worth billions of dollars.
One research has shown that the average customer buys this company’s products every four days, and in some cases, this is reduced to every day (among younger people in particular).
Now, the wide population has the access to this drink but those who follow a kosher diet, or belong to the Jewish religion, are wondering if they can consume this drink.
Is it kosher – this is the question we want to answer today and to do that we will have to go deeper into history, way back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Jewish immigrants settled in the promised land, America, in the search for a better life.
There they met many wonderful things, and among food and drink items, there was a bottle with the red sign that call their name, but the question was – was it kosher for the to consume?
First of all, to remind you, Kashrut or kashrus, as it is also named, is in fact, a set of dietary laws that deal with the foods that the Jewish community is permitted to consume.
Such food, in order to be called, kosher, must be prepared according to Jewish religious law.
It needs to meet some rules, that could be complicated to understand; and for food that can be eaten to be considered “kosher” needs to follow some rules (one of the most famous being not to ever mix dairy and meat, for example, this is one of the most famous).
Kosher, then generally means “fit” (in this context: “fit for consumption”).
Although the details of kashrut law are numerous and complex, there are many things that could follow you to find an answer on what to consume and what not.
Is Coca-Cola Kosher?
Now, we have promised that the story about kosher Coca-Cola does include some history lessons, the one that sends us back to the beginning of the 20th century when wars and poverty made many Jewish people find happiness elsewhere, and that was America, where they came to pursuit the American dream.
Many Jewish immigrants who have come to America, wanted to be connected to all that has got to do with the American dream, and for that matter, this is the most famous brand that this country has, it is Coca-Cola, one of the most famous beverages in the world.
And the question is can the Jewish community drink this beverage?
It is kosher?
Rabbis who came to America, from many European countries, at the beginning of the 20 century, had a lot to do with this as they work on the kosher status of Coca-Cola.
Being a true part of American life, for Jewish immigrants had a lot to do with not just living in this promised country, but also being able to take all those wonderful foods and beverages.
Until that point one of the favorite drinks for the Jewish community was seltzer water, but children and the children of those immigrants were wanting to drink Coca-Cola.
Even in those early years, rabbis in Atlanta had to answer many questions regarding can they consume Coca-Cola (just to mention that the central factory of this drink was precisely in Atlanta.
And then the company responded to those rabbis with the list of ingredients they have asked for so that they can be sure is that drink kosher.
But how to obtain such information, when we know that this is one of the best-hidden secrets there is, as the true formula of Coca-Cola is hidden in a safe?
The company instead gave the list of ingredients, not providing the true quantities of the elements that make Coca-Cola.
One of the problems there was glycerin that was also used and it was from beef tallow that was not kosher.
This meant that in the first days, this drink was not meet the kosher standards of the Jewish community.
But, at the same time, the company was working on the substitution of glycerin so that it could be obtained from coconut oil.
After this moment, Coca-Cola was seen as kosher.
Another problem was the presence of alcohol, as in Coca-Cola there were some traces of it, as they were present there as a byproduct of the kernel.
And we know that food items that are made from grains are not permitted during Passover, then Coke lost its kosher status.
But, the company had another research and has been working on the process of substituting sweeteners, so instead of those that were made from grains, not they have been made from beet and cane sugar.
The important thing was to retain the same flavor of Coca-Cola, and before Passover, this drink was made so that it can suit Jewish consumers.
Which Coca-Cola products are kosher?
So, we have concluded that Coca-Cola is kosher, and for Passover, the company offers an alternative that is suitable for consumption in this period.
But, as we know the Coca-Cola company produces many drinks, and they are expanding their offer non-stop.
So, then what other drinks that this company produces are seen as kosher?
Well, besides the regular kind the original Coca-Cola, there is
Coca-Cola Zero is also seen as kosher.
Under this category fall also Minute Maid Light Lemonade, then Minute Maid Lemonade, and Mello Yello Zero.
Pibb Xtra and all varieties of Dasani Sparkling and Dasani Flavors are kosher.
Now, in the beginning, we have spoken of the fact that Coca-Cola is a kosher drink, but, this is not all, since the problematic period comes during Passover.
The problem represents the fructose corn syrup that is not kosher, and therefore the Coca-Cola that has it cannot be consumed.
This is a major problem, but this was smartly solved by the company itself.
They have made a replacement for this period – the regular bottles of this beverage were substituted with those that have substituted for sugar as this one has been obtained from grains that are not permitted during Passover.
And for easier recognition, the caps were replaced, and these had yellow caps, instead of white ones, for easier recognition.
Not only that every bottle sold had a certificate for Passover.
More about Coca-Cola
One of the most popular drinks in the world if not the most popular, and it is no wonder why they invest so much in its branding and marketing, as its sign is one of the most recognizable signs in the world.
It has got its name in 1885 from the two main ingredients that were found in this drink at the time: coca leaf extract and kola nuts.
It is hard to say exactly how much cocaine was in the original drink, but what is certain no one can deny that it was there.
The first public debates related to this popular drink were conducted precisely because of the negative aspect of cocaine, and the producers vigorously defended themselves against accusations that their product could lead to addiction to this difficult drug.
A few years after Coca-Cola’s release on the market and the announcement of its ingredients, cocaine was dropped from production, and its creators Candler and Robinson waited impatiently for the moment to continue promoting the supposed benefits of coca leaves but still reduced the amount of extract in this drink to a minimum so that there were almost only traces of it.
Nowadays, this is without competition the most popular drink in the world, and it is sold over 1.7 billion bottles worldwide every day, and the annual advertising budget is over two billion USD.
Coca-Cola is the most famous and valuable global and American brand, which is sold in over 200 countries.
The Coca-Cola logo is recognized by 94% of the world’s population. According to the company’s reports, its name is the second most understandable term in the world, right after the word “okay”.
In addition to this drink, the company has thousands of different drinks in its portfolio, with which many would never associate the name Coca-Cola.
The value of the Coca-Cola brand is estimated at 74 billion USD.
Also, what follows this brand is the cautionary tale of the dangers that this drink carries with itself, firstly having in mind the large quantity of sugar that it obtains.
Not only that, the problem is the soda that is found in this drink, which can ruin teeth, and all of this is especially problematic for kids, who are, to be honest, the biggest consumers of Coca-Cola and all soda drinks.
It is not recommended to be consumed too much, because of the large quantities of sugar that it has, and there is the fact that this drink does not have anything nutritious in itself.
Some say that the only thing that is good about it is its taste, while others say that they use this drink for many things when they are having diarrhea when they have a problem with digestion, or when they experience a hangover.
Conclusion
So, we have explained how and why this drink has become accessible to the Jewish community.
It is kosher since it has reasonable rabbinical oversight.
Now, some have asked why nowhere it says that this drink has a Kosher certificate.
The answer is that this is the decision made by the company itself, and they do not want to put it on its products.
And how can the consumer be certain that this product is kosher since, they do not know their ingredients, as this is a kept secret?
As we have said, a rabbi from Atlanta obtain the list of ingredients, without the measurements and he has confirmed that this drink is kosher.
He had backed the full list, and the firm only utilizes parts of the inventory in real production.
The fact is that they provided him with all that he needed to know to declare this popular drink to be kosher, and the rest is history.
The company has adjusted to the demands of the expanding market, including the large Jewish community.
Also, during Passover, as Jews cannot eat corn syrup which is one of the elements that are found in Coca-Cola, then the company in cities with a large Jewish population is making special kinds of this drink so that it is suitable for the Jewish community to consume it.
The bottles of such Coca-Cola are having different caps – they are yellow instead of regular red; and not only that, they were sold with the Passover stamp so that consumers were assured that they are drinking the real deal during the Passover time.
So, Coca-Cola, as well as numerous other soda drinks are kosher.
