A brand new marketing campaign to target the health-diligence of consumers is underway. The executives of Coca-Cola are planning on boosting the global market expenses by approximately $1 billion over a period of 3 years. Adorning cans and bottles for this campaign have already begun, with the labels all saying; “No artificial flavors, no preservatives added.”
However, this does not compensate for the fact that Coke is riddled with phosphoric acid, even though the company is taking the proper steps. Phosphoric acid is a preservative and an artificial flavor, nonetheless. It also lowers the bone density and can cause kidney disease. Therefore, it’s only common sense to believe that the claim on the label, is not the truth.
More on Phosphoric Acid
The strong, acid taste in beverages such as Coca-Cola, is from phosphoric acid, and is greater than vinegar and lemon juice. Even though it’s clear, odorless and colorless, it’s definitely not tasteless. This agent provides the tangy flavor in beverages, and is also used to remove the rust off of vehicles.
It has been shown in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition how the acid chemically lowers the density of human bones, and that it is linked to kidney disease and kidney stones. Compounds that are similar can be found in dairy and meat products, which give a perfect explanation to why sodas, dairy and meat can cause inflammation in the body.
The acid is produced massively in rather large quantities, and can be recognized as E338, phosphoric acid or orthophosphoric acid in the industry.
Class-Action Suit Targeting the Misleading Label
Paul Merrit filed a class-action suit during October of 2013 in California. This suit challenged the claims of Coke being all natural, which further turned into a federal-class action that was filed in March of this year, by Ronald Sowizrol.
The representatives for this class-action suit are Joshua Ogden and George Engurasoff, against the company, Coca-Cola Refreshments USA Inc. The claims state that Coca-Cola are falsely advertising the beverage, and demand that the label contains the information about the acid, stating that it’s a preservative and an artificial flavor.
However, Coca-Cola argued that the acid is not stated on the list of artificial flavors from the Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, and that it does not qualify to be the one considering the fact. Judge Jeffrey White, U.S District Judge, stated that; “these lists are not exhaustive, and the absence of phosphoric acid is not an artificial flavor.”
The FDA has said that artificial flavors are specifically used for flavor addition, and are anything but derived from sources that are natural, such as vegetable and fruit juice, dairy products or plant materials. The industry needs to admit that the acid is a mass-produced, non-natural chemical which is added into soda for the tangy and tart flavor.