Coke Tests Milk Soft Drink in NY

Coke's Vio is only the latest in ill-conceived beverages

(NEWSER) - Coke is currently testing Vio, a carbonated-milk drink it hopes will capture the US market—but Time is a little skeptical. Here are some other misbegotten beverage ideas:

• Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water. Prominent placement of the Coors logo made the company’s spring water look a lot like a beer.
• Thanksgiving Dinner Soda. Everyone likes Thanksgiving, but the idea of turning dinner courses into soft drinks—Turkey and Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, and Fruitcake were flavors—didn’t quite work out for Jones Soda.

New Zealand family faults company

(NEWSER) - A 30-year-old New Zealand woman died of a heart attack in 2010, and her death has been linked to her consumption of about 2 gallons of Coca-Cola every day for several years. Natasha Marie Harris consumed about 4,000 calories of regular Coke daily, reports CBS News . "The first thing she would do in the morning was have a drink of Coke and the last thing she would do in the day was have a drink of Coke by her bed," her partner testified at an inquest this week. "She was addicted to Coke." The family wants warning labels on the product, notes the New Zealand Herald . More»

California cracks down on substance in caramel additive

(NEWSER) - Coca-Cola has begun switching to a new caramel coloring—it won't be a noticeable change—to avoid being forced to slap cancer warnings on its soda in California. The chemical that delivers the distinctive color includes a substance called 4-methylimidazole, or 4-MI. In 2011, California decreed that certain levels of 4-MI were carcinogenic. Coke could either modify its formula or print the cancer warnings, reports NPR . More»

Coke now makes top 2 sodas in US

(NEWSER) - It's not just Coke vs. Pepsi anymore: Diet Coke's sales beat out Pepsi’s for the first time in history last year, crowning it America’s No. 2 soda, the Wall Street Journal reports. In 2009, both Diet Coke and Pepsi held just under 10% of the market. But while cola sales have dropped in the past decade, PepsiCo has lost more market share, prompting a marketing overhaul. More»

Health lobby wants caramel coloring banned

(NEWSER) - You already know soda can make you fat —but it could also give you cancer. A DC health lobby group claims the caramel coloring used by Coca-Cola and Pepsi includes two cancer-causing chemicals and should be banned, the Daily Mail reports. While the caramel one might make at home (using sugar and water) isn't exactly healthy, researchers say artificial caramel coloring is even worse—it's made my mixing sugar with ammonia and sulfites. More»