A scientist who runs the YouTube channel LabCoatz claims to have cracked the 139-year-old secret formula for Coca-Cola. According to Zach Armstrong, the recipe is more than 99 per cent sugar, but the real secret lies in the remaining one per cent of 'natural flavours' that give the drink its distinctive taste.
Armstrong spent over a year using mass spectrometry to analyse the chemical composition of Coca-Cola, creating a 'fingerprint' of its molecules. This allowed him to replicate the flavour without using coca leaves, a key ingredient that is legally restricted in the US. His basic recipe includes a precise ratio of essential oils such as lemon, lime, tea tree, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, coriander, and fenchol.
The scientist found that the replica formula initially lacked fresh and cooling flavour notes. The breakthrough came when he realised that coca leaves are rich in tannins, which are non-volatile and thus missed by mass spectrometry. By adding commercially available wine tannins, he achieved a taste and chemical profile almost indistinguishable from the original.
Armstrong's final recipe involves mixing tannins, water, caramel colourings, vinegar, glycerin, caffeine, sugar, vanilla extract, and phosphoric acid, then flavouring with a highly diluted essential oil mix. The resulting concentrate is so potent that a single batch can make up to 5,000 litres of Coca-Cola, costing just pennies to produce.
