Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Coca-Cola FREESTYLE...the future of bad soda

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Ground Level » Coca-Cola FREESTYLE...the future of bad soda (Page 11)

This topic comprises 13 pages: 1 2 3 ... 8 9 10 11 12 13

Author

Topic: Coca-Cola FREESTYLE...the future of bad soda

Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 11-17-2014 02:05 PM

I don't drink soda. I'm just trying to research this topic. There's no reason not to make nutrition information easily available, unless you have something to hid. Coke apparently does have something to hide.

| IP: Logged

Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

posted 11-17-2014 05:37 PM

quote: Ken Lackner
Yes, this is a UK site. I wouldn't for a second assume the ingredients are the same as they are for the US. I've never seen "fructose-glucose syrup" on a US nutrition label.

In the UK Coke (except from Freestyle machines) is made with sugar not fructose-glucose syrup.

| IP: Logged

Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 11-18-2014 09:47 AM

Upon further reflection and discussion, I'm just not buying it. As I stated previously, there is no way Coca-Cola would leave themselves wide open to lawsuits by doing something ridiculously stupid like this. Additionally, many people can spot the flavor of artificial sweeteners. My friend who used to work at World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta would have known if she was getting Coke Zero out of the Freestyle machines when she selected flavored Coke. She's not the only one. How many times have you seen customers bring back a drink because they were mistakenly given diet when they ordered regular?

quote: Mark Hajducki
In the UK Coke (except from Freestyle machines) is made with sugar not fructose-glucose syrup.

I know this. Hence:

quote: Ken Lackner
I wouldn't for a second assume the ingredients are the same as they are for the US.

| IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 11-19-2014 04:54 AM

The ingredients of the two components of the base syrup used by bottling plants is largely the same over the world. There are some small variations, mostly due to regulatory constrains. For example, California introduced some strict regulations regarding certain versions of the caramel coloring used, so they changed it to avoid placing warning labels.

The biggest difference around the globe is the sweeteners being used. While the U.S. and nowadays also Mexico are largely using HFCS, in Europe it's still largely "regular" sugar. There is a noticeable taste difference (especially if you try them side by side), although it is somewhat subtle. The difference between Regular, Diet and Zero is night and day. While Zero may be a tad closer to the Regular variation than Diet (or Light), those alternative (or rather artificial) sweeteners are easily detectable and I do not like them. I even detect them in semi-diet products, those who mix regular sugars with one or two of those alternatives (aspartame, sucralose or even stevia).

What goes into the Freestyle machines is obviously different, as it must have a higher concentration than the regular syrup. Still, why would you want to use "Zero" as a base for the flavored versions?

What would make some sense is to use artificial sweeteners in the additives. So, the cherry flavor would, for example, contain aspartame instead of sugar or HFCS, so if you mix it with the diet/zero version of the drink, it remains free of sugar.

I only had limited encounters with those machines so far, the last one was in the U.K. I remember them offering both regular and Coke Zero with flavors. So, this difference is there only for marketing purposes?

| IP: Logged

Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 11-19-2014 12:28 PM

I highly doubt it. I am sure that when a customer selects Coke and adds a flavor, they are, in fact, getting Coke, not Coke Zero.

quote: Marcel Birgelen
Still, why would you want to use "Zero" as a base for the flavored versions?

You wouldn't.

quote: Marcel Birgelen
What would make some sense is to use artificial sweeteners in the additives. So, the cherry flavor would, for example, contain aspartame instead of sugar or HFCS, so if you mix it with the diet/zero version of the drink, it remains free of sugar.

I don't agree that this would make sense. You would have customers unknowingly adding artificial sweeteners to their flavored Coke or Sprite, with no warning or indication they are doing so. I'm not sure why the flavor has to be sweetened at all, artificially or with sugar; the base soda is already plenty sweet.

Taking a close look at the UK Freestyle site (and again, I wouldn't assume the ingredients are the same as they are in the US; but let's assume most of them are and the only major difference is HFCS vs. sugar), it doesn't seem like the flavors themselves are sweetened. When I look at nutritional information for Coke and Coke Cherry, no artificial sweeteners appear in the Cherry version; if the flavor itself had artificial sweeteners in it, they would. Similarly, no sugar sweeteners appear in the Diet Coke flavors.

| IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 11-19-2014 01:43 PM

For some flavor additives, you probably don't need any additional sweetener, but I'm not entirely convinced it works for every flavor additive equally well. I'm also not sure if they're obliged to label their products with warnings for artificial sweeteners. Does the Diet or Zero option on the machine show any warnings like: contains Aspartame or sucralose?

Back in 2003 or so, Coca Cola offered "Flavor Rage" packets with flavors like Cherry and Vanilla to go with your fountain drinks. Those packets contained artificial sweeteners to make them compatible with their diet drinks. The stuff tasted awful by the way.

| IP: Logged

Ken Lackner
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1907
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 11-19-2014 02:20 PM

Obviously there is no requirement for a warning label such as "Warning: contains artificial sweeteners," as diet drinks on the shelves do not have this. But the sweetener is listed in the ingredients on the back. In this case, the list of ingredients for Coke Cherry on Coke's Freestyle UK site does not contain aspartame or any other artificial sweetener. (And I never was able to find similar information for the US.) This is what leads me to believe that the flavor itself is not sweetened.

| IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 11-19-2014 05:30 PM

Fruity flavor components without sugar. Sounds delicious and very natural. [Wink]

I guess Coca Cola is obliged to list nutritional information regarding all the products they sell publicly, maybe not on their machines, but at least somewhere online?

| IP: Logged

Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-19-2014 05:42 PM

quote: Marcel Birgelen
Fruity flavor components without sugar. Sounds delicious and very natural.

That's exactly what packaged Kool-Aid is, only in powdered form.

So, theoretically, I guess that means if you wanted Cherry Coke, you could buy regular Coke and sprinkle in a little bit of cherry flavored Kool-Aid!

Eew! I bet that would taste horrible! [puke]

BTW: "Fructose-Glucose Syrup" is high fructose corn syrup. Different countries labeling requirements dictate what it can be called.

Corn syrup is chemically fractioned in order to separate the fructose from the glucose. Then, the two are mixed back together to produce the sweetness and flavor profile necessary to make the product taste the way it is "supposed" to.

According to law, ingredients must be listed in order of concentration or amount, greatest first.

Thus, if the mixture is 51% or more fructose and 49% or less glucose, it must be called "fructose-glucose." If it is the other way around, 51% or more glucose, it must be called "glucose-fructose."

So, basically, "fructose-glucose syrup" is just corn syrup.

| IP: Logged

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 11-20-2014 02:31 AM

Yeah, many of those artificial flavors do not contain any form of sugar. Then again, you would expect Coke to use something more "natural", like something based on some actual essential oils, which would naturally include some amount of sugar. Their original formula is also nothing more than a few essential oils diluted to almost homeopathic levels, a heavy dose of caramel coloring, a shitload of sugar*, carbonated water and a hint of caffeine.

I'm always under the impression Cherry Coke (the bottled stuff) has a somewhat sweeter taste to it than Regular Coke. It might just be my mind playing tricks on me though and it might also vary slightly from bottler to bottler.

* Depending on your location... etc. etc.

| IP: Logged

Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

posted 01-08-2015 01:38 PM

I've had 2 experiences with the Freestyle machines now.

The Sprite I bought tasted a bit like Barq's root beer to me. I refilled the drink, and it tasted better. This was at a Wendy's location.

The 2nd was at a Zaxby's... It partially filled my drink and stopped running. The kid that came out to fix it said it ran out of syrup. I noticed that most of the drink selections on the screen were not working, too. BTW: the partially filled drink tasted awful, so I had them give me a refund on it. By the time I was finished with the sandwich, they were still trying to reset the machine. I was not the only one that complained about this machine.

| IP: Logged

System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 12-26-2016 05:16 PM

It has been 718 days since the last post.

| IP: Logged

Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 12-26-2016 05:16 PM

My biggest complaint about the Free Style machines is they are never adequately stocked. To the best of my knowledge the only one in my community is at the Jack In The Box. From time to time I stop in for a Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. More often than not the machined is out of one of the three ingredients. I've never worked with one so I don't know how much work they take, but it does appear that keeping them stocked is a task.

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-26-2016 05:45 PM

From what I've heard about them (not much, admittedly), keeping them stocked should be simple because they just have these little flavor cartridges which get micro-measured into the larger base-liquid and then carbonated water is added. So it should be about the same as changing an ink cartridge in a printer. Plus the machines are supposedly internet-connected so they reorder their supplies automatically as needed.

It probably comes down to some broom-pusher in the venue who is not paying attention and restocking the thing. Or maybe Coke sends somebody around quarterly or monthly to do it.

I may have noted this before, but one time I walked up to a Freestyle and attempted to get a Classic Coke. All of the other Coke flavors were available but regular Coke was "not available." I don't understand that one at all.

| IP: Logged

Jack Ondracek
Film God

Posts: 2348
From: Port Orchard, WA, USA
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 12-26-2016 09:03 PM

It's been a long time ago, but I heard the machines dispense regular Coke in much the same way as any other fountain dispenser. It's the "boutique" combos that get the flavor cartridge treatment. If that's true, it might explain why they were out of the one flavor.

I don't notice any trouble with regular coke out of the Freestyle machines, but anything else leaves an aftertaste that takes hours to work out of my system.

So... I avoid the machines and places that use them.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 13 pages: 1 2 3 ... 8 9 10 11 12 13

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.