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From: bob@islenet.UUCP (Bob Cunningham)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: The New COKE
Message-ID: <1152@islenet.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 25-May-85 17:06:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: islenet.1152
Posted: Sat May 25 17:06:11 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Jun-85 00:52:45 EDT
References: <1382@amdcad.UUCP> <666@vortex.UUCP>
Organization: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics
Lines: 29

> If memory serves me correctly, the change from sugar to more corn
> sweeteners was made quite some time ago (without any public fanfare)
> and is unrelated to the current "New Coke" taste change.

All of the major soft drink makers shifted to corn syrup sweetener
(fructose) over the last several years.  Primarily because it's become
cheaper than sucrose.  Previously, they used sucrose syrup (essentialy
molasses), derived from either sugar beets (southern U.S) or sugar cane
(Hawaii and various tropical countries).  In fact, fructrose has replaced
sucrose in the majority of "manufactured foods" in the U.S.  The primary
exception is cake mixes and other dry mixes that require a granulated
sweetener (fructrose doesn't granulate nicely -- just becomes sticky goo
when you try to remove the water).

As a result, cane (and probably beet) sugar is currently a glut on the world
market.  Here in Hawaii the sugar cane plantations are gradually closing
down.  If the U.S. government didn't have a "floor" price support for sugar
(which is anyways too low, according to the sugar people), they'd already
be out of business.  In any case, the long-term outlook is for a major
decrease in beet/cane sugar production -- except for 3rd world countries
with extremely low wage rates.

Note that (at least some) cans of new Coca-Cola include in their list of
ingredients: "high fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose".  If the market
price of sucrose goes low enough (due to the oversupply), of course they'll
gladly use it ...
-- 
Bob Cunningham  {dual|vortex|ihnp4}!islenet!bob
Honolulu, Hawaii