The Great USA Coca Cola and Chocolate Scandal!

It’s my last day in USA and I’m taking home so many lovely memories of USA…..except for Coca Cola and Cadbury chocolate. IMHO it is a scandal! The Taste of American Coca Cola and Chocolate Being well known for my Coca Cola and chocolate love (it’s what I’m holding in my avatar) I feel a…

Sue Waters

July 12, 2009

2 minutes

chocolate, coca cola, NECC09

It’s my last day in USA and I’m taking home so many lovely memories of USA…..except for Coca Cola and Cadbury chocolate.

IMHO it is a scandal!

The Taste of American Coca Cola and Chocolate

Being well known for my Coca Cola and chocolate love (it’s what I’m holding in my avatar) I feel a need to expose this scandal. Worse still that I have to confess I’ve been drinking Pepsi and feeling physically sick from the memory of eating Cadbury Carmello chocolate.

While other Aussies rush off planes from USA to grab a true Aussie meat pie all I’m thinking about is drinking my first real drink of Coca Cola in 3 weeks. It may be an extremely long flight home for the Qantas flight attendants if they serve American Coca Cola and not Australian. Off course I’m also now concerned that I will no longer cope with the sweet taste of our Coca Cola and our chocolate 😦 .

Reason for the taste difference

Before coming to USA I was aware that the chocolate would taste different but assumed that Coca Cola tastes the same World wide (as did most non-USA people in my network).

So why the different taste? Well here they use high-fructose corn syrup instead of sugar. Besides not being as sweet it has a horrible taste.

In USA the price of sugar is considerably higher than the World sugar price due to factors such as sugar quotas on the import of sugar and government subsidies of USA sugar growers (read more here about the history of USA inflated sugar prices). The solution for reducing food production costs has been to replace sugar with high-fructose corn syrup or move production to countries like Canada where sugar is cheap.

Meanwhile Americans who want to drink soft drinks containing sugar go to stores that sell Mexican imported Coca Cola and Pepsi.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m arriving into Sydney airport Monday 13 July at 6.15 AM. Hopefully no one gets in my way as I run to grab some real Cadbury chocolate!

Sigh with a short time between my flight from Sydney to Perth hopefully in my rush to get some chocolate I don’t miss my flight home 😦

PS yes I will tell you more about my USA adventure than just the chocolate and Coca Cola scandal. What else would you like to know?

48 responses to “The Great USA Coca Cola and Chocolate Scandal!”

Cathy Nelson

July 12, 2009 at 2:09 am

Wow what a story!

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Sue Waters

July 12, 2009 at 2:12 am

Can I ask? Were you unaware of how different these products taste and thought they were the original formulas?

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Paul C

July 12, 2009 at 3:07 am

I find this story fascinating. I have long learned to stay away from fructose type ingredients in fruit drinks. Companies improve their profit margin if they can sweeten with cheap fructose instead of 100% natural occurring sugars.
Now you have me thinking about soft drinks. As a Canadian I wonder which sugar I am ingesting. Then, again, I wonder about diet drinks as well and what impacts saccharine and aspartame have on one’s health.
Interesting that Australians enjoy a purer, richer product.

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:16 pm
  
  Well to be honest Paul they make it nice tasting which means we drink too much of it and it really isn’t good for us. Perhaps it is better that it doesn’t taste the same?
  
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Michael

July 12, 2009 at 3:50 am

I defy you to go without chocolate or soda pop for two weeks Sue! I think an intervention is in order. Myself, I’m trying to limit my sugar/HFCS intake. I notice a big difference in my inflammation response as a result. Particularly after a hard days workout, if I’ve been craning my neck over a book, or staring at the ‘puter for too long.
I live in a state that formerly was a big cane sugar producer, but US sugar production sure is in it’s twilight years now (along with most commodity production!). Does Australia still produce cane or beet sugar for it’s own and export markets on a huge industrial scale?

Now lets have a conversation about coffee! 100% Kona or nuthin!

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:17 pm
  
  Totally agree I need invention! Meanwhile just hold on while I have a drink and eat some chocolate.
  
  Yes Australia produces sugar cane mainly in Queensland. Not sure if it exports a lot of sugar though.
  
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Pat

July 12, 2009 at 4:55 am

We noticed the difference in chocolate when we went to the UK. My friend told me that there was a difference and I didn’t believe her until I tasted it myself. The Kit Kat candy bars are totally different tasting in the UK than they are here in the USA. I wonder if it is because of the sugar/fructose difference. Thanks for telling about this!

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:19 pm
  
  I had been warned about the chocolate tasting different but was told it was due to the different fats being added. I now know that it is the high fructose corn syrup as it gives the same after taste as drinking the coca cola.
  
  The key when shopping is to read the label, choose the ones with sugar and taste the difference. Lindt chocolate in USA contains sugar 🙂
  
  PS I ate the Kit Kats and I didn’t notice any difference.
  
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Susan Carter Morgan

July 12, 2009 at 5:49 am

Sue, it was great to meet you in person!! You are one funny person:) Remember, long distance phone calls in the US on a landline must start with a 1 !! Safe travels home.

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:21 pm
  
  Was also really lovely meeting you Susan. LOL that phone number said toll free – our toll free numbers don’t need any number put in front.
  
  I had a long travel home but is good to be here.
  
  PS off topic. I need to write some posts on WPMU — have you got any thoughts on posts that would interest you to read about WPMU?
  
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Alan Levine

July 12, 2009 at 12:19 pm

Your new blog should be called “The EduWhinger” 😉

Enjoy your sugar rush!

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:22 pm
  
  LOL I like that title — I could have The Edublogger and another blog called The EduWhinger. Yes enjoying my sugar rush.
  
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Ken Allan

July 13, 2009 at 6:16 pm

Kia ora Globetrotter and GWC member!

Welcome to the GWC (Global Whinging Club). When I first came to New Zealand I thought the cereals all tasted funny – not the same as what I was used to in Scotland. In fact, everything tasted different – some better, others less so. And yes, the beer was different too, but I was never much into that for it to bother me.

Since then over the decades I’ve listened to a stream of members from GWC.

Marmite was a brand that many addicts from Britain had a few four letter words to say about when they came to New Zealand. Some made regular trips ‘home’ to stock up on the stuff and had to talk sweetly to the customs officers who were amused and baffled. Latterly these addicts bought (expensive!) imported Marmite from the UK outlets in NZ – would you believe!

So thanks for the tip on Coca Cola, my preferred drink to Pepsi. I’ll know what to avoid next time I’m offered a Coke in USA.

Catchya later

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:25 pm
  
  To be honest Ken overall the food in USA was 100 % better than the food we eat here. It was considerably more flavorsome and better. I will really miss the food and instead of trying to get Aussie food are spending my days trying to work out how to get some good USA cooked meals.
  
  PS I’m half English I think that is the problem 😦
  
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Errin

July 14, 2009 at 8:41 am

Canadian Coca Cola and chocolate are the reason I survived university 🙂

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 15, 2009 at 9:25 pm
  
  I’m not surprised. I spent a bit of time watching out for Mexican stores to get a fix of Coca Cola that contained sugar. Unfortunately I failed 😦
  
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Charlie A. Roy

July 15, 2009 at 8:05 pm

Great post. Where would American agribusiness be without direct subsidies for corn and soy production coupled with protectionist sugar tariffs? A movie being released this summer in the States is Food Inc. I’d encourage everyone to see this movie.

I went through my American cupboards last night and found corn syrup in a large majority of the products.

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Sue Waters

July 15, 2009 at 9:33 pm

What was interesting for me Charlie was I knew about the Government subsidies in USA to protect your industry but had never appreciated their full impact.

The food producers and consumers are in the losing situation. Production wise it became too expensive to use sugar. I would assume that since corn syrup has been used for so long in USA that probably most of your population is used to it in their food and perhaps their taste buds don’t even notice it? If anything maybe they would find those containing sugar overwhelming?

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Michael

July 16, 2009 at 2:59 am

Hey wait a minute.

Could it be that other constituents of your chocolate bars are causing your consternation? How about the emulsifiers like lecithin? Does Cadbury’s add different amounts to their bars in AUS compared to the USA?

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 17, 2009 at 6:49 am
  
  Good try Michael but it has the same after taste that the Coca Cola has 🙂
  
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anightinmyhammock

July 17, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Well, I live in Ontario, Canada and when I would travel to the US I would notic teh difference in the cococola but not the chocolate, guess I never ate chocolate there.

I know this has nothign to do with your blog but I thought I would update you on my condition. I had to go though exetive Ceomo for a while but I am now back on track and home from the hospital. Is the blogging challage done for the year?
I plan on updating my blog now that i am hoem and under bed arrest lol. Doc’s dont want me to end back up there Can’t say i blam them.

Well Sorry abput getting off topic. Look forward to your responce

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 18, 2009 at 6:51 am
  
  It would depend on which chocolate you ate. Some do contain sugar while others don’t.
  
  Sorry to hear you had to go through another lot of chemotherapy. Definitely make sure you follow Doctors orders and have plenty of bed rest.
  
  The blogging challenge is starting up again in September so you can join again then. But there is no reason why you can’t keep blogging in the meantime. Make sure you drop past regularly and let me know how you are going.
  
  No problem with going off topic and look after yourself!
  
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  1. anightinmyhammock
    
    July 20, 2009 at 12:04 am
    
    Thanks I never thought about it like that, and thanks for the encouagement, I am planning and joinging the bloging comp in sept barring nothign else happens, and I will be puting up some new blogs. hope all is well.
    
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bik00

July 18, 2009 at 10:53 am

Couple of years back, there was a huge row as researchers testing the quality of Coca Cola in India found that the water quality used was below the safety requirments mandated internationally. The explaination given were on the lines that water in the country could only be purified to a certain level. (The taste differs, of course.) Later, watched a doco on the disastrous environmental affects on the region due to commercial water harvesting. Concerning fact is: water that is free becomes commercial, taxed product consumed by those who can afford along with the production of non-biodegradable plastic bottles. Some companies go even further, for e.g. Monsanto. Their business philosophy is to say the least–insidous!

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 21, 2009 at 4:38 pm
  
  That is scary. I’ve always drunken soft drinks when traveling as assumed it is safer than drinking the water. Boy that is a worry.
  
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Jenny

July 21, 2009 at 7:59 am

Ooooooooo girrrrrrrl! You’ll need to plan a trip to Atlanta so you can visit the Coca-Cola Headquarters. There’s a tour where the big highlight is the Coke around the world room. They have Coke from EVERYWHERE ready for you to dispense and try. You will not believe the differences in the formula from place to place. If you know of a place where I can go to do the same for chocolate, let me know! I’ll pack my bags tonight!

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 21, 2009 at 4:40 pm
  
  Yes everyone has been telling me about the Coco Cola tour in Atlanta. I stopped over in Atlanta twice to change flights and not sure I ever want to again. Missed flights does that to you 😎
  
  Well there is always Cadbury World in New Zealand.
  
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Jenny

July 21, 2009 at 8:02 am

Oooooo girrrrrrrl! You need to plan a trip to Atlanta and visit Coca-Cola Headquarters. The highlight of the tour is a room full of samples from around the world. It’s amazing/disgusting how different the tastes are. If you know of a place where I can go to do the same for chocolate, please, LET ME KNOW!

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Nuffnang

July 21, 2009 at 1:32 pm

It is such a disappointment isn’t it? the other thing I really hate is the bread sweetened with corn syrup. ewwww.
🙂
-Nuffnang

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1. Sue Waters
  
  July 21, 2009 at 4:41 pm
  
  What they add it to bread? Yuck. Still looking for some Bagel back here in Perth — no luck so far.
  
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Introducing The Campus and Other Important News! | The Edublogger

July 21, 2009 at 4:30 pm

[…] talking about elearning, Web 2.0 and technology while helping others (with, off course, the occasional chocolate story ). For those interested in WordPress MU you will also find me blogging on […]

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Silvana

August 11, 2009 at 6:08 am

Hi Sue,
great story when I was in New York during New Year I nearly died from the taste of chocolate coated peanut butter…….what mind thought that up??? I too had difficulty with the cola I switched to bottled water but I swear even that wasnt the same as English water. The Cadburys factory is not far from where I live….long live Cadbury’s!!!!

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1. Sue Waters
  
  August 12, 2009 at 12:38 pm
  
  @Silvana, Yuck peanut butter. There is a Cadburys scandal happening here! They have replaced the paper wrappers on the chocolate with cardboard. I’m seriously thinking of leading a campaign against it because it just isn’t ‘Cadbury!’
  
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  1. Ken Allan
    
    August 12, 2009 at 3:07 pm
    
    @Sue Waters – Cardbury, perhaps?
    
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  2. Sue Waters
    
    August 12, 2009 at 3:19 pm
    
    @Ken Allan, Don’t tell me they have done it to you in New Zealand also? What are they thinking????
    
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  3. Ken Allan
    
    August 12, 2009 at 3:54 pm
    
    @Sue Waters – nope, (gobble) you can (suck) rest assured that (lick) the cardboard chocolate (gulp)has not yet reached these shores. 🙂
    
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Ginny

August 12, 2009 at 11:42 pm

Several years ago after living in England for a year and tasting the corner shop’s Cadbury selection on my way home from school when I had a few coins burning a hole in my pocket, I returned to the states and tasted the chocolate. Not only was I terribly disappointed at the taste, but it took a long time to figure out that the only Cadbury’s that was worth buying was the imported type, not anything made in the states. I think it is more than just the sugar, too, the texture is different. Now on the rare occasion that I enjoy chocolate bars, it is only Cadbury’s and always imported. I check my labels.

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1. Sue Waters
  
  August 13, 2009 at 9:27 am
  
  @Ginny, As a pseudo official Cadbury’s spokes person I can assure you that it is definitely that corn syrup!
  
  But now they have started wrapping Cadbury’s differently here in Australia I think it is time to change to a new chocolate. It just isn’t the same – even with sugar!
  
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Peter

August 13, 2009 at 2:08 pm

The article was awesome. I liked it. I would like to share it with others. If anyone wants to share their personal feelings just visit http://www.lastnightwas.com & post their last night experience.

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Ken Allan

August 18, 2009 at 4:50 am

Kia ora e Sue!

Further to the Great C & C Scandal, get a load of this, where Cadbury has been forced to eat humble pie.

Catchya later

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1. Sue Waters
  
  August 18, 2009 at 2:09 pm
  
  @Ken Allan, They just should mess with a great formula!
  
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Elizabeth Barrette

September 8, 2009 at 1:49 pm

Sadly, the American food supply is getting less and less safe. High-fructose corn syrup is terrible stuff.

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Mājas lapu izstrāde un grafiskais dizains

September 12, 2009 at 2:10 am

Very interesting post

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Lizzy

October 22, 2009 at 3:40 pm

Coca Cola? There are hundreds of deceptions going on out there. What about the monosodium glutamate deception or the chicken growing – where chickens are grown only for meat in 20 days flat. Or the petroleum syndicate and the carburettor that can give more than 200 kms to the litre. Or the Allopathic Syndicate which prevents $2 cures for killer diseases and tells people that there is no cure for them.
Ahhhhh! gimme a break.

Ah gets weary investigating these mega criminals.

Lizzy
India

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June 12, 2010 at 1:11 am

This may be off-topic, but how about changing the theme every now and then? Maybe not if it won’t look right, but I just get tired of seeing the same thing all the time. My own computer has about 1000 wallpapers that randomly rotate every 15 minutes, lol. Adult ADD I guess. Good post though, thanks.

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Prefabrik

December 3, 2010 at 4:42 pm

It’s appalling who knows they use fructose srup instead of sugar ıt’s really shocking.

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January 8, 2011 at 11:23 am

You’re correct with this post. Thanks.

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