Cocaholic: The not-so-secret formula

You have probably heard this saying at least once: “There are only two people in the world who knows the secret recipe that makes Coca-Cola. As there is no written record of the recipe anywhere in the world, these two are not allowed to go on the same plane, for fear that an unpredicted accident may end up with the permanent loss of the drink’s formula”.

As intriguing as it sounds, it is quite far from the truth once logic comes into play. Being the most recognized brand around the world, Coca-Cola releases around 1.9 billion servings of Coke per day into the global market, 1.8 of which are consumed within that day. If only two people in the world had access to the secret formula, this would mean these very same people would have to stay inside of a Coca-Cola factory somewhere in the world doing nothing but mixing gigantic batches of Coke, in order to distribute to as many as 200 countries. Furthermore, it would be a logistical nightmare for anyone who is involved in the process of shipping “raw Coke” to wherever it is bottled. Coke’s price would shoot up, with one can costing somewhere around $10 or more.

In reality, there are obviously more than two individuals with the formula in their hands. Although limited, this group may consist of people who work with the machinery, those who are in charge of re-filling ingredients, those who deal with the factory’s logistics, and of course, the branch manager who supervises the whole operation. Based on what are being added to the mixture and at what amount, accompanied by the fact that Coke factories are everywhere to be seen, it is no surprise that a handful of people may have at least a vague notion of what goes into the word-famous soft drink.

So, is there really a secret recipe? After all the myths debunked, Coca-Cola does keep it original recipe at a highly secured location. For around 86 years, the written record of the recipe was kept inside a closed vault at the Trust Company Bank, Atlanta. Here the recipe stayed undisturbed until 2011, when the secret formula was moved to a new location. In order to celebrate the 125th year of Coke, the company decide it would be a great idea to have the written record of the formula as a permanent exhibit at The World of Coca-Cola of Atlanta – a premise which serves as both a museum and a tourist attraction where visitors can see the process of bottling, the rich history of the company, and of course, try out freshly-made Coke.