AN URBAN MYTH: COKE’S FORMULA

People think only two Coca-Cola executives know Coke’s formula and each of them knows only half of it. It is only a mediate and publicity strategy of this company in order to give an exclusive character to the mark.

Coca-Cola has a lot of ingredients common in other gas drinks such as water, caffeine, vanilla, citric acid, sugar, coconut, caramel, lime juice, flavoring (oil orange, oil lemon, oil coriander...). Nowadays, Coke is manufactured like syrup and after this supplied several franchises, which reconstitute, bottle and distribute it. Coca-Cola company has a lot of production centers around the world. So, we can imagine that the process to produce the syrup needs many people in each factory.

Moreover, Coke’s taste changes depending on the mixture of sugar, lemon and orange oils. The other ingredients change the flavor lightly. In some countries, like Argentina, Coca-Cola is sweetened with maize syrup (fructose). In Europe, Coke continues using sugar (glucose).

Another myth about Coke, people believe Coca-Cola has corrosive properties. Certainly, this drink contains phosphoric acid, which is corrosive for a lot of materials. However, its effects, when we ingest it, are really different. Coke’s pH is between 2 and 4, which is similar to lemon juice. So, it cause neither gastric problems nor tooth corrosion unless people consume in large quantities of it.

Another polemic substance is the cocaine that has never been used like ingredient. People think the name of this drink is related to cocaine.

TELLING A STORY

I must have told you about the time I witnessed a robbery in the underground. I used to go everywhere by railway because Barcelona has a lot of traffic jam.

A few weeks ago, while I was crossing BCN by underground, I saw that an old couple got in train. They were foreigners and carried several suitcases. Later, the railway stopped in a station and was almost full of people. Curiously the train doors remained opened for two minutes.

All of sudden, three men get out the railway and the woman starts to scream telling us that their suitcases have disappeared. People help them explain the way took by the thieves. Several people push the man so that he could run to the thieves. Then train doors are closed, she remains inside railway and he outside. Next she says to us that her husband has Alzheimer and starts to cry.

Luckily, in the next station the woman could talk with a couple of guards. I suppose at least she met him.
Looking back on it, it was all very quick surprisingly!.