The Coca-Cola Company

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrup

Syrup

In cooking, a syrup is a thick, viscous liquid, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars, but showing little tendency to deposit crystals....
s in the world and is one of the largest corporations in the United States. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

Discussion

Ask a question about 'The Coca-Cola Company'

Start a new discussion about 'The Coca-Cola Company'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, largest manufacturer, distributor and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrup

Syrup

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonation soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines worldwide . It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke or as Cola or Pop....
, invented by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in 1886. The Coca-Cola formula and brand was bought in 1889 by Asa Candler who incorporated The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. Besides its namesake Coca-Cola beverage, Coca-Cola currently offers nearly 400 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves 1.5 billion servings each day.

The company operates a franchised

Franchising

Franchising refers to the methods of practicing and using another person's philosophy of business. The franchisor grants the independent operator the right to distribute its products, techniques, and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee....
distribution system dating from 1889 where The Coca-Cola Company only produces syrup concentrate which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold an exclusive territory.

The Coca-Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the Capital and most populous city in Georgia , as well as the 33rd largest city in the United States of America with a population of 519,145....
, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
. Its stock is listed on the NYSE

New York Stock Exchange

New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange based in New York City, New York. It is the largest stock exchange in the world by United States dollar market capitalization of its listed companies' Security ....
and is part of DJIA

Dow Jones Industrial Average

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is one of several stock market index, created by nineteenth-century The Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow....
and S&P 500

S&P 500

The S&P 500 is a market value-weighted index published since 1957 of the prices of 500 market capitalization common stocks actively traded in the United States....
. Its current president and CEO is Muhtar Kent

Muhtar Kent

Muhtar Kent , is an American businessman, of Turkish people descent, who is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company....
.

History

The Coca-Cola Company was originally established as the J. S. Pemberton Medicine Company, a co-partnership between Dr. John Stith Pemberton and Ed Holland . The company was formed to sell three main products: Pemberton's French Wine of Cola (later known as Coca-Cola), Pemberton's Indian Queen Hair Dye, and Pemberton's Globe Flower Cough Syrup.

In 1884, the company became a stock company and the name was changed to Pemberton Chemical Company. The new president was D. D. Doe while Ed Holland became the new Vice-President. Pemberton stayed on as the superintendent. The company's factory was located at No. 107, Marietta St. Three years later, the company was again changed to Pemberton Medicine Company, another co-partnership, this time between Pemberton, A. O. Murphy, E. H. Bloodworth, and J. C. Mayfield.

Finally in October 1888, the company received a charter with an authorized capital of $50,000. The charter became official on January 15, 1889. By this time, the company had expanded their offerings to include Pemberton's Orange and Lemon Elixir.

Revenue

According to the 2005 Annual Report, the company sells beverage products in more than 195 countries. The report further states that of the more than 50 billion beverage servings of all types consumed worldwide every day, beverages bearing the trademarks owned by or licensed to Coca-Cola account for approximately 1.5 billion. Of these, beverages bearing the trademark "Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonation soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines worldwide . It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke or as Cola or Pop....
" or "Coke" accounted for approximately 78% of the Company's total gallon sales.

Also according to the 2007 Annual Report, Coca-Cola had gallon sales distributed as follows:

37% in the United States
43% in Mexico, Brazil, Japan and China
20% spread throughout the rest of the world

Bottlers

In general, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) and/or subsidiaries only produces (or produce) syrup concentrate which is then sold to various bottlers throughout the world who hold a Coca-Cola franchise

Franchising

Franchising refers to the methods of practicing and using another person's philosophy of business. The franchisor grants the independent operator the right to distribute its products, techniques, and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee....
. Coca-Cola bottlers, who hold territorially exclusive contracts with the company, produce finished product in cans and bottles from the concentrate in combination with filtered water and sweeteners. The bottlers then sell, distribute and merchandise the resulting Coca-Cola product to retail stores, vending machines, restaurants and food service distributors.

One notable exception to this general relationship between TCCC and bottlers is fountain

Soda fountain

Soda fountain is a term referring to the carbonated drink dispensers found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores....
syrups in the United States, where TCCC bypasses bottlers and is responsible for the manufacture and sale of fountain syrups directly to authorized fountain wholesalers and some fountain retailers.

In 2005, The Coca-Cola Company had equity positions in 51 unconsolidated bottling, canning and distribution operations which produced approximately 58% of volume. Significant investees include:

36% of Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises

Coca-Cola Enterprises is the world's largest marketer, producer, and distributor of The Coca-Cola Company products. It is the anchor bottler for North America and Western Europe....
which produces (by population) for 78% of USA, 98% of Canada and 100% of Great Britain (but not Northern Ireland), continental France and the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and Monaco.
40% of Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A. de C.V. which produces (by population) for 48% of Mexico, 16% of Brazil, 98% of Colombia, 47% of Guatemala, 100% of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, and 30% of Argentina.
24% of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, S.A. which produces (by population) for 67% of Italy and 100% of Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Poland, Rep. of Ireland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine.
34% of Coca-Cola Amatil
Coca-Cola Amatil

Coca-Cola Amatil is an Australian company that bottles and distributes The Coca-Cola Company soft drinks and other beverages in several countries....
Limited which produces (by population) for 98% of Indonesia and 100% of Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Korea, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
20% of Coca-Cola Içecek AS. which produces (by population) for 100% of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Syria, Iraq & Turkmenistan.
27% of Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the second largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, producing, marketing, and distributing nonalcoholic beverages -- primarily licensed products of the Coca-Cola Company -- in North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia, and portions of Alabama, M...
which is the second largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. The company was incorporated in 1980, and "its predecessors have been in the soft drink manufacturing and distribution business since 1902."

Products and brands

The Coca-Cola Company offers nearly 400 brands in over 200 countries, besides its namesake Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

Diet Coke
Diet Coke

Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States on Independence Day in 1982 as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark....
(introduced in 1982), which uses aspartame
Aspartame

Aspartame is the name for an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener, aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester; that is, a methyl ester of the dipeptide of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine....
, a synthetic phenylalanine
Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine is an a-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2C6H5, which is found naturally in the breast milk of mammals and manufactured for food and drink products and are also sold as nutritional supplements for their reputed analgesic and antidepressant effects....
-based artificial sweetener in place of sugar
Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many other sources....
Diet Coke Caffeine-Free
Diet Coke Caffeine-Free

Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola was introduced in 1984, as a caffeine-free variant of Coca-Cola. It was introduced to compete against Pepsi Free .The diet variant, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke was the first variant of Diet Coke, introduced in 1983, one year before the regular Coke version....
Cherry Coke
Coca-Cola Cherry

Coca-Cola Cherry is produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company#Bottlers. It was introduced to a test audience at the 1982 World's Fair as Cherry Coke, and entered mainstream production in 1985....
(1985)
Diet Cherry Coke (1986)
Coke with Lemon (2001)
Diet Coke with Lemon (2001)
Vanilla Coke (2002)
Diet Vanilla Coke (2002)
Coca-Cola C2
Coca-Cola C2

Coca-Cola C2 was a cola-flavored beverage introduced by The Coca-Cola Company first in Japan, then later on June 7, 2004 in the United States , in response to the low-carbohydrate diet trend....
(2004)
Coke with Lime (2004)
Aquarius Mineral Water (2004)
Diet Coke with Lime (2004)
Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda
Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda

Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda was introduced in 2005. It is the seventh variant of Diet Coke. Diet Coke with Splenda contains 2.83 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce....
(2005)
Coca-Cola Zero
Coca-Cola Zero

Coca-Cola Zero or Coke Zero is a product of the Coca-Cola Company. It is a sugar-free variation of Coca-Cola. It is marketed as having zero sugar, except in the United States and Canada, where it is marketed as having zero calories....
(2005)
Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla
Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla

Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla and Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla were varieties of Coca-Cola that were launched in January 2006 by The Coca-Cola Company in United States....
(2006)
Diet Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla (2006)
Coca-Cola BlaK
Coca-Cola Blak

Coca-Cola BlaK is a coffee-flavored soft drink that was introduced by Coca-Cola in 2006. The mid-calorie drink was introduced first in France, before making its way to the United States and other markets....
(2006)
Diet Coke Plus
Diet Coke Plus

Diet Coke Plus is a formulation of Diet Coke fortified with vitamins and minerals. It is sweetened with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium, unlike regular Diet Coke which only contains aspartame....
(2007)
Coca-Cola Orange
Coca-Cola Orange

Coca-Cola orange was a variation of Coca-Cola available for a limited time that was flavoured with orange. It was introduced in June 2007 in the UK and Gibraltar only, following the success of the previous year's Coca-Cola with Lime, for which 40% of the launch sales represented new customers and increased purchasing....
(2007)
Coke Chocolate (to be released in 2010)

Tab

Tab (soft drink)

Tab is a diet cola soft drink produced by the Coca-Cola Company....
was Coca-Cola's first attempt to develop a diet soft drink, using saccharin

Saccharin

Saccharin is an artificial sweetener. The basic substance, benzoic sulfinide, has effectively no food energy and is much sweeter than sucrose, but has an unpleasant bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations....
as a sugar substitute. Introduced in 1963, the product is still sold today, however its sales have dwindled since the introduction of Diet Coke.

The Coca-Cola Company also produces a number of other soft drinks including Fanta

Fanta

Fanta is a global brand of fruit-flavored soft drinks from the The Coca-Cola Company. There are over International availability of Fanta, however most of them are only available in certain countries....
(introduced circa 1942 or 1943) and Sprite

Sprite (soft drink)

Sprite is a transparent, lemon-lime flavored, caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced to the United States in 1961....
. Fanta's origins date back to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
when Max Keith

Max Keith

Max Keith was the head of Coca-Cola, the major bottler of Coca-Cola during the Nazi Germany period of Germany history.Coca-Cola GmbH was unable to obtain Coca-Cola syrup during World War II, because of the Allied blockade....
, who managed Coca-Cola's operations in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
during the war, ran out of the ingredients for Coke, which could be supplied only from the United States. Keith resorted to producing a different soft drink, Fanta, which proved to be a hit, and when Coke took over again after the war, it adopted the Fanta brand as well. The German Fanta Klare Zitrone ("Clear Lemon Fanta") variety became Sprite

Sprite (soft drink)

Sprite is a transparent, lemon-lime flavored, caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced to the United States in 1961....
, another of the company's bestsellers and its response to 7 Up

7 Up

7 Up is a brand of a lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The rights to the brand are held by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in the United States, and PepsiCo in the rest of the world....
.

During the 1990s, the company responded to the growing consumer interest in healthy beverages by introducing several new non-carbonated beverage brands. These included Minute Maid

Minute Maid

Minute Maid is a product line of drink, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but now extends to soft drinks of many kinds, including Hi-C ....
Juices to Go, Powerade

Powerade

POWERade is a drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in 1988. By 1992, the beverage was launched nationally in the Australian Capital Territory....
sports beverage, flavored tea Nestea

Nestea

Nestea is a brand of iced tea manufactured by Nestle and distributed by Nestle company's beverage department in the United States and byBeverage Partners Worldwide ,, a joint venture between The Coca-Cola Company and Nestle, in the rest of the world....
(in a joint venture with Nestle

Nestlé

Nestl? is a Multinational corporation packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange with a turnover of over 87 billion Swiss francs....
), Fruitopia

Fruitopia

Fruitopia is a fruit flavoured, non-carbonated drink introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 1994 and targeted at teens and young adults. According to New York Times business reports, it was invented as part of a push by Coca-Cola to capitalize on the success of Snapple and other flavored tea drinks....
fruit drink and Dasani

Dasani

Dasani is a brand of bottled water from the Coca-Cola company, launched in 1999, after the success of Aquafina . It is one of many brands of Coca-Cola water products sold around the world....
water, among others. In 2001, Minute Maid

Minute Maid

Minute Maid is a product line of drink, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but now extends to soft drinks of many kinds, including Hi-C ....
division launched the Simply Orange

Simply Orange

Simply Orange is an Apopka, Florida-based company that was founded in 2001 and is owned by the Minute Maid division of The Coca-Cola Company. The company grows its own Orange for orange juice and sells a number of other fruit juices....
brand of juices including orange juice

Orange juice

Orange juice is a popular beverage. It is a source of vitamin C , potassium, folic acid . Citrus juices also contain flavonoids that are believed to have beneficial health effects....
.

In 2004, perhaps in response to the burgeoning popularity of low-carbohydrate diet

Low-carbohydrate diet

Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for the treatment of obesity....
s such as the Atkins Diet

Atkins Nutritional Approach

The Atkins diet, officially called the Atkins Nutritional Approach, is a well-known low-carb diet created by Dr. Robert Atkins from a diet he read in the Journal of the American Medical Association and utilized to resolve his own overweight condition following medical school and graduate medical training....
, Coca-Cola announced its intention to develop and sell a low-carbohydrate alternative to Coke Classic, dubbed C2 Cola. C2 contains a mix of high fructose corn syrup

Corn syrup

Corn syrup is a syrup, made using cornstarch as a feedstock, and composed mainly of glucose. A series of two enzyme reactions are used to convert the cornstarch to corn syrup....
, aspartame

Aspartame

Aspartame is the name for an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener, aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester; that is, a methyl ester of the dipeptide of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine....
, sucralose

Sucralose

Sucralose is a zero-calorie sugar substitute artificial sweetener. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as Sweetness as sucrose , twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3 times as sweet as aspartame....
, and Acesulfame potassium

Acesulfame potassium

Acesulfame potassium is a calorie-free artificial sweetener, also known as Acesulfame K or Ace K , and marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One....
. C2 is designed to more closely emulate the taste of Coca-Cola Classic. Even with less than half of the food energy

Food energy

Food energy is the amount of energy in food that is available through digestion.Like other forms of energy, food energy is expressed in calories or joules....
and carbohydrate

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates or saccharides are the most abundant of the four major classes of biomolecules. They fill numerous roles in living things, such as the storage and transport of energy and structural components ....
s of standard soft drinks, C2 is not a replacement for zero-calorie soft drinks such as Diet Coke

Diet Coke

Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States on Independence Day in 1982 as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark....
. C2 went on sale in the U.S. on June 11, 2004, and in Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
in August 2004. C2's future is uncertain due to disappointing sales.

Coca-Cola is the best-selling soft drink in most countries. While the Middle East is one of the only regions in the world where Coca-Cola is not the number one soda drink, Coca-Cola nonetheless holds almost 25% marketshare (to Pepsi's 75%) and had double-digit growth in 2003. Similarly, in Scotland

Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
, where the locally produced Irn-Bru

Irn-Bru

Irn-Bru is a popular carbonation soft drink produced in Scotland. It is made by A.G. Barr plc, of Cumbernauld. Barr's Irn-Bru is available in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Gibraltar, Malta, Russia, Canada, Norway, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, parts of Europe such as Poland and Greece, the Middle East, in some parts of A...
was once more popular, 2005 figures show that both Coca-Cola and Diet Coke now outsell Irn-Bru. In Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, the native Inca Kola

Inca Kola

Inca Kola is a soft drink with a flavor similar to bubblegum, or a banana cream soda, that is made in Peru. The maker is 60% owned by The Coca-Cola Company....
has been more popular than Coca-Cola, which prompted Coca-Cola to enter in negotiations with the soft drink's company and buy 50% of its stakes. In Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, the best selling soft drink is not cola, as (canned) tea

Canned tea

Canned tea is a relatively recent method of marketing tea which has been sold traditionally as leaf tea and also, for the last 100 years, in tea bag form....
and coffee

Japanese Canned Coffee

is ubiquitous in Japan, with a large number of companies competing fiercely and offering various types for sale. Japanese canned coffee is already brewed and ready to drink....
are more popular. As such, the Coca-Cola Company's best selling brand there is not Coca-Cola, but Georgia

Georgia (drink)

File:Canned coffee view 02.jpg is the name of a popular brand of coffee-flavored beverages sold by The Coca-Cola Company. It was launched in 1975 by Coca-Cola Company, a Japanese subsidiary of the company....
.

Some claim Coke is less popular in India

India

Thums Up

Thums Up is a carbonated soft drink popular in India, where its bold, red thumbs up logo is common. It is similar in flavour to other colas but has a unique taste reminiscent of betel nut....
, a brand acquired by The Coca-Cola Company, contributes a major part of this market share rather than Coke per se, which lags both Thums Up and Pepsi.

On July 6, 2006, a Coca-Cola employee and two other people were arrested and charged with trying to sell "highly classified" information to the soft drink maker's competitor, PepsiCo

PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Incorporated is a large conglomerate with interests in manufacturing, marketing and selling a wide variety of carbonation and non-carbonation beverages, as well as sodium, sweet and grain-based snacks, and other foods....
for $1.5 million. The recipe for Coca-Cola, perhaps the company's most closely guarded secret, was never in jeopardy. Instead, the information was related to a new beverage in development. Coca-Cola executives verified that the documents were valid and proprietary. At least one glass vial containing a sample of a new drink was offered for sale, court documents said. The conspiracy was revealed by PepsiCo, which notified the authorities when they were approached by the conspirators.

The company announced a new "negative calorie" green tea drink, Enviga

Enviga

Enviga is a Nestea carbonated canned tea green-tea drink being jointly marketed by the The Coca-Cola Company Company and Nestle Switzerland. It is available in three flavors: Green tea, Tropical Pomegranate and Mixed Berry.....
, in 2006, along with trying coffee retail concepts Far Coast

Far Coast

Far Coast Coffeehouses are operated by Coca-Cola, and represent their attempts to break into the coffeehouse market. Currently, there are four "concept stores", in Toronto, Oslo, Singapore, and Coke's hometown of Atlanta....
and Chaqwa.

On May 25, 2007, Coca-Cola announced it would purchase Glaceau

Glacéau

Energy Brands, also doing business as Glac?au, is a privately owned subsidiary of Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York City that manufactures and distributes various lines of Flavored water....
, a maker of flavored vitamin-enhanced drinks, flavored waters, and energy drinks, for $4.1 billion in cash.

On September 3, 2008, Coca-Cola announced its intention to make cash offers to purchase China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited

Huiyuan Juice

China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited , established in 1992 and headquartered in Beijing, is the largest privately-owned company juice producer in China....
with an offering of HK$12.20 per share.

Criticism

The Coca-Cola Company has been involved in a number of controversies and law suits related to its perceived relationship with human rights

Human rights

Human rights refer to the "basic rights and freedom to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of speech, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, i...
violations and other perceived unethical practices.

A number of law suits have been issued in relation to its allegedly monopolistic and discriminatory practices

Criticism of Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company and its products have been criticized by various sources for various reasons....
, some of which have been dismissed, some of which have caused The Coca-Cola Company to change its business practices, and some of which have been settled out of court. It has also been involved in a discrimination case. There have been continuing criticisms regarding the Coca-Cola Company's relation to the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy

Criticism of Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola Company and its products have been criticized by various sources for various reasons....
.

In regards to environmental issues in India

India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
, there has been a controversy over pesticides possibly showing up in the product, as well as the company's overuse of local water supplies in some locations, that have sometimes led to severe shortages for regional farmers. Packaging used in Coca-Cola's products have a significant environmental impact but the company strongly opposes attempts to introduce mechanisms such as container deposit legislation

Container deposit legislation

Container deposit legislation are laws passed by city, state, provincial, or national governments that require that a deposit on carbonation, milk, water or alcoholic beverage containers be collected when the beverage is sold....
.

There are charges that the Coca-Cola Company was involved in the violent repression of a union at several of its bottling plants in Colombia, South America. As of August 2005 when PBS's Frontline ran a story on the controversy, Coca-Cola was strenuously denying all allegations of union-busting and murder of union leaders. Shareholders and U.S. colleges have boycotted Coca-Cola to try to put pressure on the company to approve a full-scale, independent investigation of the charges.

In January of 2009, a U.S. consumer group filed a class action lawsuit against the Coca-Cola company. The lawsuit was in regards to claims made along with the company's flavors of Vitamin Water. Claims say that the 33 grams of sugar are more harmful than the vitamins and other additives are helpful. The Coca-Cola company calls the ongoing dispute "ridiculous".

Sponsorship

Coca-Cola has sponsored the English

Football in England

Association football is the national sport in England and plays a significant role in English culture....
Football League since the beginning of the 2004-05 season

2004-05 in English football

The 2004?05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England....
(beginning August 2004). Other major sponsorships include NASCAR

NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the largest sanctioning body of stock cars in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series....
, the NBA, the PGA Tour

PGA Tour

The PGA Tour is an organization that operates the main professional golf tours in the United States. It is headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida....
, NCAA Championships, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the NRL and the UEFA European Football Championship

UEFA European Football Championship

The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's List of men's national football teamss governed by UEFA ....
.

The Coca-Cola Company

History

Revenue

Bottlers

Products and brands

Criticism

Sponsorship

External links