Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

sl8

(16,668 posts)
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 01:54 PM Yesterday

Everyone is Wrong About Mexican Coke

This seemed like a good time to repost this. Basically, there's no differences in the sugar present in the Coke some weeks after the soda is bottled, regardless of whether it was made with cane sugar or HFCS (any sucrose used becomes free fructose and glucose). There are some other differences in the ingredients (e.g., salt or sodium) other than the sugar used that might account for some taste differences.

==================

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4285619/

[...]

Ventura et al.4 found no inconsistencies in HFCS-sweetened beverages, but did report discrepancies between types of sugars claimed on product labels and those detected in sucrose-sweetened beverages. However, their sucrose concern was almost certainly a failure to consider acid-catalyzed sucrose inversion to free fructose and glucose, a well-characterized phenomenon known to occur in the low-pH environment of most carbonated beverages (and a host of other acidic foods and beverages). Thus, concern about types of sugars in HFCS- and sucrose-sweetened beverages appears to be based on incomplete understanding of sugars chemistry in carbonated beverages.

[...]



9:55 min.



Everyone is Wrong About Mexican Coke ( Even ‪@johnnyharris )

Reactions
Dec 11 2024

A 2011 paper found that Mexican Coke – which is supposed to be sweetened with cane sugar – contained no cane sugar. Instead, the paper found plenty of glucose and fructose: the main ingredients in high fructose corn syrup. Could Coke be lying to us all? Or is there another, even stranger explanation?

Correction: 0:51 Cu2O is copper(I) oxide, not copper(II) oxid

Credits:
Executive Producer:
Matthew Radcliff

Producers:
Andrew Sobey
Elaine Seward
Darren Weaver

Writers:
George Zaidan

Hosts:
George Zaidan

Scientific Consultants:
John Richardson, Ph.D.
Jeb Kegerreis, Ph.D.

Executive in Charge for PBS: Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming for PBS: Gabrielle Ewing
Assistant Director of Programming for PBS: John Campbell

Reactions is a production of the American Chemical Society.
© 2024 American Chemical Society. All rights reserved

[...]



List of sources provided at link.
17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

stopdiggin

(14,044 posts)
2. kind of amused at the groundswell of amateur chemists
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 02:21 PM
Yesterday

produced by the internet and 'healthy eating' camps.

It's .. it's .. got chemicals ! Eek !

"Yes, Doris - and so is the water, and the glass you're drinking out of .. "

JoseBalow

(7,963 posts)
6. Whether we know it or not, chemicals play an important and ever-increasing role in our daily lives...
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 03:31 PM
23 hrs ago
(1:57)

Johnny2X2X

(23,090 posts)
9. Coke also has Dihydrogen Oxide in it
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 03:41 PM
23 hrs ago

And we all know how dangerous dihydrogen oxide is, kills 4000 Americans a year.

Igel

(36,989 posts)
10. A Star Trek:TNG episode featured a "baryon sweep."
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 05:00 PM
21 hrs ago

They had to remove "baryons" because they build up after warp travel.

I was in a room full of science nerds (a hefty percentage were physics undergrads and astrophysics grad students) and we just cracked up laughing.

I'm sure most viewed were, "OMG, baryons!"

Uh ... Baryons include neutrons and protons. We sort of need them. Get rid of them and you have a bunch of electrons.

cadoman

(1,496 posts)
4. needs to be watched to the end
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 02:42 PM
Yesterday

And I think the open question then is: if sucrose breaks down into sucrose/fructose over time, shouldn't the aspiration be for a fresh mix that hasn't degraded into sucrose/fructose?

Igel

(36,989 posts)
12. Perhaps for flavor.
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 05:06 PM
21 hrs ago

But the sucrose hits your stomach, with its acid, and it breaks down to fructose and glucose. Your cells can't break down sucrose otherwise. So unless that 55/45 (roughly) split of HFCS means that +5/-5 skew is crucial for health, uh, then they're ultimately the same.

How "fresh" the Coke has to be depends on the chemical kinetics of sucrose hydrolysis at the storage temperature and acidity levels. Acidity may be by specification, but temperature's gonna vary.

Sucrose is a disaccharide, the other two are monosaccharides. Starch is an oligosaccharide and breaks down (starting in your mouth) into glucose and maltose, then to just glucose. Because our cells like glucose. Fructose gets converted.

KentuckyWoman

(7,140 posts)
8. Cost.
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 03:40 PM
23 hrs ago

They changed ingredients to lower costs. Makes it more affordable. More consumed. More obesity.

cyclonefence

(5,105 posts)
11. No one is arguing that either form of Coke is good for you
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 05:06 PM
21 hrs ago

Sugared Coke tastes a whole lot better to some of us. I don't know why anyone else cares.

Bluesaph

(928 posts)
14. I like the real sugar coke better myself.
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 10:39 PM
16 hrs ago

Can we talk about relevant things now? This is just another distraction.

Bluesaph

(928 posts)
15. We are gonna run out of corn
Tue Jul 22, 2025, 10:41 PM
16 hrs ago

Due to the ICE raids on migrant workers who will harvest the corn? Who will plant the corn for next year?

We will run out of corn and the shit will hit the fan!

I suspect that this is what it’s all about. Trump is probably trying to get a jump ahead of the huge problems he’s creating!

Polybius

(20,555 posts)
16. I used to work in a restaurant with a bunch of Mexican coworkers
Wed Jul 23, 2025, 12:42 AM
14 hrs ago

Let's just say that they would disagree. They paid for Mexican Coke's from a deli, bringing a bunch to work daily. Meanwhile, we had Coke in the restaurant that they could have drank for free.

DiverDave

(5,135 posts)
17. Im a Pepsi man
Wed Jul 23, 2025, 01:30 AM
13 hrs ago

Coke tastes like medicine to me.
Mexican Pepsi is much better then the corn sugar Pepsi.
The cane sugar is okay, but if I can get it, Mexican Pepsi is the bomb.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Everyone is Wrong About M...