Course:FNH200/Assignments/2021/Coca-Cola Coke Coca-Cola vs Diet Coke

Coca-Cola vs Diet Coke

Coca-Cola Nutrition Facts

Diet Coke Nutrition Facts

Introduction

The brand Coca-Cola was established in 1892 in Atlanta, Georgia, United states. And ever since, Coca-cola has been creating different formula's for different carbonated products. We specifically looked at Coca-Cola and Diet Coke to see the differences between the two and what ingredients were used. With the concept of carbonated drinks such as sodas being labeled "unhealthy", we wanted to see what alternatives were used in diet coke to make it healthier.

Ingredient Lists

Coca-Cola	Diet Coke
Carbonated Water	Carbonated water
High fructose corn syrup	Caramel colouring
Caramel coloring	Phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid	Citric acid
Natural flavours	Aspartame
Caffeine	Natural flavours
	Sodium benzoate
	Acesulfame-potassium
	Caffeine

Identifying Fat Substitutes, Sugar Substitutes and Additives

	Fat Substitutes	Sugar Substitutes	Additives
Coca-Cola	None	None	Caramel colouring
Diet Coke	None	Aspartame Acesulfame potassium	Citric acid Sodium benzoate

Roles of Fat Substitutes, Sugar Substitutes and Additives

Substitutes/Additives	Role
Aspartame	In Diet Coke, aspartame is used as a sugar substitute to lower caloric intake. By using aspartame,an alternative option is made for consumers . Diet Coke is also stated by Coca-Cola to have no sugar and no calories which is the base of their statement of saying Diet Coke is the healthier alternative.
Acesulfame potassium	Another sugar substitute used in diet coke is acesulfame potassium. It is a zero-calorie sugar alternative and it is commonly used in soft drinks, yogurts and candy .
Caramel colouring	Caramel colouring is used to give Coca-Cola its signature dark colouring .
Citric acid	Citric acid provides a sharp, sour taste to Diet Coke, and also reacts with baking soda to release carbon dioxide from the baking soda, creating the bubbles in Coca Cola
Sodium benzoate	Sodium Benzoate is a preservative that extends shelf life . It also protects the taste of Coca-Cola .

Compare and Contrast

Base Ingredients (Same)	Others (Different)
Carbonated water	Aspartame
Caramel colouring	Acesulfame-potassium
Phosphoric acid	Citric acid
Caffeine	Sodium benzoate
Natural flavours

Base Ingredients

Coca-Cola and diet coke share some of the same base ingredients. Carbonated water, caramel colouring, phosphoric acid, caffeine and natural flavours are all examples of base ingredients that are included in both Coca-Cola and Diet Coke.

Sweeteners

Aspartame is used in small quantities as a sugar alternative for their Diet Coke brand to be healthier with 0 calories and 0 sugar. Although aspartame is said to yield 4 Cal/g, the quantity used in the drinks make it very close, if not 0 calories because aspartame is 180-220 times sweeter than regular sugar . In comparison with Coca-Cola, high fructose corn syrup is used as the main sweetener as it is not worried about the calories that it adds into the drink.

Acesulfame-potassium is another sugar alternative used in diet coke that is calorie-free .

Additives

Citric acid enhances the flavoring in diet Coca-Cola, by giving it the sour, tart taste .

Sodium benzoate is added into Diet Coke to extend its shelf life by not allowing the microorganisms that are responsible for food degradation to reproduce during storage . There should be caution when consuming drinks that contain sodium benzoate because of it's ability to combine with ascorbic acid and convert into benzene . Benzene is classified as a carcinogen which can cause cancer, more specifically leukemia and other blood-forming cancers .

Labels

Food Labeling Requirements

	Coca-Cola	Diet Coke
Bilingual labelling	Yes (English and French)	Yes (English and French
Common name of the food	Coca-Cola	Diet Coke
Country of Origin	United States	United States
Date marking and storage instructions	"Best before date" on can/bottle; no storage instructions	"Best before date" on can/bottle; no storage instructions
Identity and principal place of business	Atlanta, Georgia	Atlanta, Georgia
Irradiated foods	Not irradiated so there is no label needed	Not irradiated so there is no label needed
Legibility and location	Label is printed onto either a label (bottle) or directly onto the can and is easily legible/readable	Label is printed onto either a label (bottle) or directly onto the can and is easily legible/readable
List of ingredients	Located to the side of nutrition facts table	Located to the side of nutrition facts table
Nutrition facts table	Includes all the necessary information in nutrition facts table (e.g. serving size, calories, total fat, sodium, etc.)	Includes all the necessary information in nutrition facts table (e.g. serving size, calories, total fat, sodium, etc.)
Net quantity of the food	355 mL (1 can)	355 mL (1 can)
Sweeteners	Indicated on ingredients list (e.g. high fructose corn syrup)	Indicated on ingredients list (e.g. aspartame, acesulfame-potassium)
Nutrient content claims and diet-related health claims	"Not a signficant source of saturated fat, trans fat, fibre, cholesterol, calcium or iron"	"Not a signficant source of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium or iron"

References

This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200.