Yes, Coca-Cola does use palm oil in some of its products, particularly in food items under their umbrella (like biscuits or snacks, not necessarily the main soda drinks), and they've committed to sourcing it sustainably, joining the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) to address environmental concerns like deforestation. They aim to use certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) and work with partners like the WWF to improve their supply chain for key agricultural ingredients, including palm oil.
What do Nutella, Hershey's Chocolate, Coca-Cola and Kellogg's cereal all have in common? All of these brands use palm oil as a key ingredient when making their products. Palm oil is the world's most demanded vegetable oil, making palm oil extraction an environmental crisis.
While PepsiCo is one of the largest global buyers of palm oil in the consumer products industry, our purchases in 2023 represented less than 1% of the global supply. Palm oil has a long and complex supply chain, with farmers operating in challenging conditions.
In the early 1900s cocaine in its crude form was removed. Today the extract of the coca leaves, a de-cocainized version, is manufactured in the United States and used in the flavoring for Coca-Cola. The crude cocaine that is left over is used by select pharmaceutical companies for medicines.
Palm Oil in Food Products
Nestlé, Kellogg, Mars, Wrigley, Nabisco, PepsiCo, General Mills, and Hershey are a few companies that use palm oil in their food products. Some are committing to using only 100% certified sustainable palm oil.
Many of the best known chocolate bars and boxes contain palm oil – from Galaxy Caramel and Lindt to Nutella and Ferrero Rocher. In fact, the biggest chocolate bar and box brands all use palm oil, including Mars, Nestle, and Mondelez (owner of Cadbury's).
Check the label: It is EU law for food products to clearly label palm oil when it is used, so check the ingredient list. Be extra aware of foods that commonly contain palm oil such as sliced bread, crisps, and biscuits. Try to buy food marked with a sustainable palm oil logo.
Why Is Cocaine Illegal? Cocaine is considered a Schedule II narcotic by the DEA, which means it has a high potential for abuse (though it has some limited medical uses). The move to make cocaine illegal is rooted in mixed and complicated history of concern for public health and safety, politics, and racism.
Recent studies have found an association with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Research shows that having as little as one soda per day measurably increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
While several recipes, each purporting to be the authentic formula, have been published, the company maintains that the actual formula remains a secret, known only to a very few select, and anonymous employees. The recipe for Coca-Cola remains a closely guarded trade secret.
This changed in the 1980s, when the palm weevil Elaeidobius kamerunicus was introduced into Asian plantations. Yields increased dramatically opens in a new window. This, together with a wider shift away from animal fats, led to palm oil rapidly becoming one of the most widely used vegetable products on Earth.
Colgate uses palm oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil derivatives in some of our soap products, toothpastes, antiperspirants, deodorants, and household cleaners.
You should limit your intake of palm oil, which is high in saturated fat that can raise your heart disease risk. Palm oil contains antioxidants and can help treat vitamin A deficiency if you consume it in moderation.
McDonald's leads in palm oil use but not in commitments
Despite signing on to the non-binding New York Declaration on Forests in September reiterating the global importance of forests, McDonald's palm oil policies do not protect forests.
All of ALDI's exclusively branded products containing palm (kernel) oil adhere to strict standards of responsible production as set by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The aim of sustainable palm oil is to protect animals, the environment and the people who live and work in palm-oil producing countries.
Compared to other liquid oils, palm oil is relatively high in saturated fats. It's nearly 50% saturated fat, while olive oil is about 14%. Saturated fats are linked to high cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease and other chronic health conditions.
These beverages increase blood sugar levels rapidly and affect the pleasure centers of the brain in a similar way as heroin. More recent research adds to the evidence of a link between sugary drinks and diabetes and seems to confirm the adverse effects of these drinks on brain, kidney, and liver activity.
There's no single "number one" unhealthiest soda, as different ones rank poorly for different reasons (sugar, acidity, dyes), but Mountain Dew, Fanta Grape, and orange sodas often top lists due to high sugar, potent citric acid for enamel erosion, and potentially carcinogenic artificial dyes (like Red 40), making them particularly damaging for teeth and overall health, notes this article from Eat This, Not That! and this article from Fowler Orthodontics. Dark sodas (like Coke/Pepsi) are also very unhealthy due to sugar, caffeine, and caramel coloring, while clear sodas (Sprite/7Up) are generally less harmful but still packed with sugar, says this article from MEL Magazine.
Just One Soda a Day May Raise the Risk of Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes. Recent research also ties sugar-sweetened drinks to depression, liver disease, and premature death.
Drug tests look not just for traces of the substance but its metabolic byproducts – EME and BE mentioned earlier. Consumption of anything containing raw coca leaf introduces the same compounds, triggering false positives on standard urine-based screenings used today.
From 1966 until 1991, a 13-nation Arab League boycott banned Coke because it chose to operate in Israel while Palestinian land was under occupation. This boycott meant Coca Cola was not sold in many Middle Eastern countries for years.
Legal status
Coca tea is legal in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and Ecuador. Its use is being discouraged in part by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Coca tea is illegal in the United States unless it is decocainized.
Palm oil and deforestation
Colgate-Palmolive uses palm oil, palm kernel oil and derivatives in soap products, toothpaste, antiperspirants, deodorants and house cleaners.
From chocolate to chips, ice cream to noodles and crackers, palm oil is in more than 50% of pre-packaged food items because it is a cheap filler and substitute for more expensive fats.