Coca-Cola, or lovably known as Coke, is not unknown to anyone. The world-famous carbonated soft drink is labelled ‘The world’s most refreshing drink,’ and rightly so, because as of 2013, the drink is present in 200 countries and the citizens of our planet consume about 1.8 billion servings on a daily basis.
With a gamut of flavours in its army, Coca-cola is served in a wide variety of products, from soda dispensers to aluminium tins. But is it just me or have you also noticed that the Coca-Cola we drink in glass bottles or tin cans is different in taste than what we drink from plastic bottles?
We dig out the myth and the reasons behind it.
It has to do with the sugar flavouring the drink.
Even though Coke maintains that their formula for it’s standard flavour is the same across every plant and container manufacturer, many believe that the sweetener that has been added is different. In the United States, the more often used sweetener High Fructose Corn Syrup (HCFS), since corn is cheaper than sugarcane. Mexico Coke, or the coke that is bottled in Mexico, contains real cane sugar, and hence, the subtle differences in the sweetness can affect the overall taste.
It has to do with your psychology. No, really.
Confirmation bias suggests that your brain wants you to feel that the taste of the liquid from the different containers are different, and hence your tongue’s taste receptors are affected that way while picking up the taste. Another psychological effect that could hamper or change your perception of taste is the tactile feedback of your palms. The way your hand grips the container (whether glass bottle/tin can/plastic bottle) may also be a trigger of different tastes for the same liquid for you.
It has to do with the material of the container.
University professors from the United States participated in a study to find out the reason behind a change in taste of Coke drunk from different containers. The results are as such: The inner chemical linings from both the aluminium cans and the plastic bottles interfere with the chemicals in the Coke syrup. The plastic bottles contain Acetaldehyde which leaks a little bit into the syrup of coke. The aluminium cans have a polymer lining which has the same effect. Glass, being the most inert substance, does not react in any way with the syrup and, hence, keeps the experience original.
It has to do with the environment.
Coca-Cola representatives have stressed it many times over its 130 years of existence that it should be consumed chilled. And there is a reason behind this. If stored under warm conditions, the CO2 may escape from the plastic lining of the bottles, resulting in a loss of taste. Aluminium being a weak metal, warm hands can quickly warm up the drink inside, again causing a reaction due to heat, leading to a different taste. Glass bottles pretty much salvage the coolness of the refrigerator and, hence, are favourites.
So, after careful considerations, studies, and surveys, the glass bottles come out to be winners as far as the quintessential Coca-Cola experience is concerned.