The fizzy sensation in the world of beverages that needs no introduction is none other than Coca-Cola! If you love this drink but just shifted to a vegan diet and are wondering, “Is Coke Vegan?” then you are in the right place, as you are going to get all your answers here!
Origin of Coke:
Coca-cola has gained so much popularity as a beverage in celebration events worldwide, and it is commonly named _Coke.
It is an essential member of the category of carbonated drinks, with its exceptional caramel color. If we look at its history, this drink was first developed in 1981, by a Pharmacist, named Dr. John Stith Pemberton. Who produced the syrup of Coca-cola and because of its exceptionally unique taste, he started to sell this soda for five cents a glass.
As for the name, it was suggested by Dr. John’s partner, Frank M. Robinson, who thought “Two Cs would work best for advertisement, and hence suggested the name “Coca Cola” for this drink.
Due to its refreshing quality, Coke started gaining popularity, to the level that from the sale of 9 drinks per day to now thousands of gallons are sold per year by the company, generating a large amount of revenue per year.
Initially, this company started with Coke, but now it produces hundreds of drinks, including soda, coffee, juices and alcoholic beverages.
Is Coke Vegan?
Have you just shifted to a vegan diet and are curious, if the ingredients in Coke are vegan-friendly or not? Let’s find its answer!
The official website of Coca-Cola claims that;
“The vast majority of our drinks, including coca-cola, are suitable for vegetarians and vegans”.
To clarify this statement, let’s look at its ingredients.
Ingredients of Coke
All these ingredients are plant-based, just the matter of concern could be the natural flavors, as they can be obtained from both plant and animal sources. But coca-cola company claims that all the natural flavors used are obtained from natural plant-based sources. 7 main ingredients of coke include the following:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Caramel color
- Phosphoric acid
- Caffeine,
- Some natural flavors
The type of sugar used in the drink can also be a point of concern for vegans because sometimes a material made of animal bones, called “Bone char”, is added to get the white color of sugar. But again, the company claims that the sugar used in Coke is high fructose corn syrup, which is a plant-based sugar.
So, we can say that Coca-Cola or simply Coke is entirely made of plant-based products and thus, it can be utilized by people who prefer a vegan diet.
Moreover, Coca-Cola company claims not only the ingredients used in Coke are completely vegan, but now they have launched bottles that claim to be made of 100% plant-based plastic, except for the cap and label.
Which Coke Is Not Vegan?
Although all ingredients in Coke are suitable for vegans, there are still some drinks produced by Coca-Cola that are not entirely vegan.
Coca cola claims that all its products are vegan, except those that contain cochineal or milk mentioned in their ingredient list.
Also, they claim that some of their products contain Vitamin D3, which is obtained from Lanolin. This Lanolin is the natural oil found in sheep wool, which can be obtained without harming sheep. But still, some strict vegetarians may avoid using those drinks.
So, due to the presence of dairy products or animal-based gelatin, the following are some drinks under the Coca-cola company that are not suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
- Barista Bros
- Lilt
- Lilt Zero
- Schweppes Orange Squash
Is Coke Healthy?
This fact is not hidden by many, that Coke is not a healthy drink. One can of Coke contains around 35-40 grams of sugar, so it’s better to use it now and then, but its daily consumption can lead to severe chronic disorders like diabetes or cardiovascular disorders.
To overcome this problem, Coca-Cola has launched some alternatives with less or absolute zero sugar content, as we mentioned Diet Coke before.
Vegan Coca-Cola drinks:
According to the official website, the Coca-Cola products that are suitable for vegans include:
- Coke Classic
- Coke Vanilla
- Diet Coke
- Coke Zero
- Coke No Sugar
- Fanta Orange
- Fanta Jelly Fizz
- Sprite
- Powerade
- Powerade Zero
- Lilt
- Appletiser & Grapetiser
- Coke Raspberry
- Fanta Passionfruit Cream.
Other fizzy drinks marketed under the licence of Coca-Cola, like Dr Pepper, are also vegan.
Ethical concern of Coca-Cola:
Other than the ingredients used in their drinks or the health issues caused by their products, another major concern related to the Coca-Cola company is its ethical value.
Some production practices of Coca-cola are quite controversial, such as animal testing, and force-feeding.
Is Coca Cola Vegan PETA?
PETA claims that Coca-cola had something of a history of invasive animal experimentation, including cutting open chimpanzees to conduct taste tests and force-feeding chemicals to rodents to test caramel color. But in 2008, PETA received a letter from the Coca-Cola company in which they announced that they will not only no longer conduct animal experimentation, but also will not fund such cruelty in any way.
Coca-Cola’s senior vice president also stated that they are sending letters to their partners and research organizations to use alternative and safe evaluation procedures.
Is Diet Coke Vegan?
In 1982, 1 year after the basic Coke, Coca-Cola also launched a Diet Coke particularly lower in sugar and calorie content. But is Diet Coke vegan?
Yes, because Diet Coke is similar in content to that of classic coke, except the fact that the sugar and calorie content is lower in Diet Coke than that in classic Coke.
Is Cherry Coke Vegan?
Yes, cherry coke is vegan. It does not contain any animal or dairy products. Cherry Coke contains carbonated water, natural flavour, caffeine, caramel color, corn syrup, and phosphoric acid. All flavors of coke that come from natural sources are vegan. Similarly, raspberry Coke and vanilla orange Coke are also vegan.
Is Coke Zero Vegan?
Another great alternative to classic Coke is Zero-sugar Coke. But Is Zero sugar Coke vegan?
Absolutely, just like the classic and other forms of Coke, zero-sugar Coke is also vegan, with exceptionally low sugar and calorie content. To avoid the chronic problems caused by daily soda consumption, it’s better to switch from classic to diet versions of sodas.
Is Mexican Coke Vegan?
Mexican Coke is also vegan. There are no animal ingredients in Mexican Coke. It is suitable for both vegans and vegetarians.
Does Coke contain Gelatin?
Most flavours of Coke do not contain gelatin as an ingredient. During production of coke, they use fish gelatin in order to stabilize beta carotenes. Coca-cola may contain traces of fish gelatin as a result of cross-contamination. Strict vegans might want to avoid it.
Is Sprite Vegan?
Generally, Sprite is considered vegan due to its animal-free ingredients. In the UK, Sprite might not be vegan as they use aspartame, which is obtained from bacteria, as a sweetening agent. Some UK suppliers also use bone char to process the sugar used in Sprite. Strict vegans may not like cross-contamination with animal products. You should read labels before purchasing Sprite to confirm if it is vegan.
Is Fanta Vegan?
A few flavours of Fanta are vegan, and others are not. According to Coca-Cola, Fanta is totally vegan. However, some vegans do not prefer it over other drinks because the dyes used in Fanta were tested on animals.
Final Thoughts:
To sum it up, Coke is a vegan carbonated drink that can be consumed by vegetarians. The company claims on its official website that “Coca‑Cola does not contain any ingredients derived from animal sources and can be included in a vegetarian or vegan diet.”
So, no matter if you are a vegan, grab a cold bottle, open the happiness, and let the magic of Coke enchant your taste buds!
Read more:
Is Too Faced Vegan and cruelty-free?
Hi there! Do you usee Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would
bee ok. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward
to new posts.
I could not resist commenting. Very well written!