Editing Coca-Cola (section)

==Criticism==
{{Main|Criticism of Coca-Cola}}

Criticism of Coca-Cola has arisen from various groups around the world, concerning a variety of issues, including [[health effects]], [[environmental issues]], and [[business practice]]s. The drink's coca flavoring, and the nickname "Coke", remain a common theme of criticism due to the relationship with the illegal drug cocaine. In 1911, the US government seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola syrup in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]], alleging the caffeine in its drink was "injurious to health", leading to amended food safety legislation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Benjamin|first1=Ludy T.|last2=Rogers|first2=Anne M.|last3=Rosenbaum|first3=Angela|date=January 1, 1991|title=Coca-Cola, caffeine, and mental deficiency: Harry Hollingworth and the Chattanooga trial of 1911|journal=Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences|language=en|volume=27|issue=1|pages=42–55|doi=10.1002/1520-6696(199101)27:1<42::AID-JHBS2300270105>3.0.CO;2-1|pmid=2010614|issn=1520-6696}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1940s, PepsiCo started marketing their drinks to [[African Americans]], a niche market that was largely ignored by [[Caucasian race|white]]-owned manufacturers in the US, and was able to use its [[anti-racism]] stance as a selling point, attacking Coke's reluctance to hire blacks and support by the chairman of the Coca-Cola Company for segregationist [[Governor of Georgia]] [[Herman Talmadge]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/business/06boyd.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries&oref=slogin|last=Martin|first=Douglas|date=May 6, 2007|title=Edward F. Boyd Dies at 92; Marketed Pepsi to Blacks.|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214011657/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/business/06boyd.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries&oref=slogin|archive-date=December 14, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of this campaign, PepsiCo's market share as compared to Coca-Cola's shot up dramatically in the 1950s with African American soft-drink consumers three times more likely to purchase Pepsi over Coke.<ref>Brian D. Behnken, Gregory D. Smithers (2015). "Racism in American Popular Media: From Aunt Jemima to the Frito Bandito". p. 34. ABC-CLIO</ref>

The Coca-Cola Company, its subsidiaries and products have been subject to sustained criticism by [[consumer group]]s, [[environmentalists]], and [[Consumer organization|watchdogs]], particularly since the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Delshad |first1=Irani |title=Is Coca-Cola an easy target? Or are its critics right? |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/brand-equity/is-coca-cola-an-easy-target-or-are-its-critics-right/articleshow/51106125.cms |newspaper=The Economic Times |access-date=July 31, 2018 |date=February 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801034412/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/brand-equity/is-coca-cola-an-easy-target-or-are-its-critics-right/articleshow/51106125.cms |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, [[BreakFreeFromPlastic]] named Coca-Cola the single biggest plastic [[polluter]] in the world. After 72,541 volunteers collected 476,423 pieces of [[plastic waste]] from around where they lived, a total of 11,732 pieces were found to be labeled with a Coca-Cola brand (including the [[Dasani]], [[Sprite (drink)|Sprite]], and [[Fanta]] brands) in 37 countries across four continents.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90425011/coca-cola-nestle-and-pepsico-are-the-worlds-biggest-plastic-polluters-again|title=Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo are the world's biggest plastic polluters—again|last=Segran|first=Elizabeth|date=November 1, 2019|website=Fast Company|language=en-US|access-date=February 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208145659/https://www.fastcompany.com/90425011/coca-cola-nestle-and-pepsico-are-the-worlds-biggest-plastic-polluters-again|archive-date=February 8, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> At the 2020 [[World Economic Forum]] in Davos, Coca-Cola's head of sustainability, Bea Perez, said customers like them because they reseal and are lightweight, and "business won't be in business if we don't accommodate consumers."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Thomas|first=Daniel|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51197463|title=People still want plastic bottles, says Coca-Cola|date=January 21, 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=February 17, 2020|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130025249/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51197463|archive-date=January 30, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2022, Coca-Cola announced that it will aim to make 25 percent of its packaging reusable by 2030.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 16, 2022|title=Coca-Cola Pledges 25% Reusable Packaging by 2030 - February 16, 2022|url=https://dailynewsbrief.com/2022/02/16/coca-cola-pledges-25-reusable-packaging-by-2030/|access-date=February 16, 2022|website=The Daily NewsBrief|language=en-US|archive-date=March 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319192200/https://dailynewsbrief.com/subscribe/monthly/?mepr-unauth-page=15342&redirect_to=%2F2022%2F02%2F16%2Fcoca-cola-pledges-25-reusable-packaging-by-2030%2F|url-status=live}}</ref>

Coca-Cola Classic is rich in sugars, especially [[sucrose]], which causes [[dental caries]] when consumed regularly. Besides this, the high caloric value of the sugars themselves can contribute to [[obesity]]. Both are major health issues in the developed world.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Gupta|first1=Prahlad|last2=Gupta|first2=Nidhi|last3=Pawar|first3=Atish Prakash|last4=Birajdar|first4=Smita Shrishail|last5=Natt|first5=Amanpreet Singh|last6=Singh|first6=Harkanwal Preet|date=December 29, 2013|title=Role of Sugar and Sugar Substitutes in Dental Caries: A Review|journal=ISRN Dentistry|volume=2013|doi=10.1155/2013/519421|issn=2090-4371|pmc=3893787|pmid=24490079|pages=519421|doi-access=free}}</ref>

In February 2021, Coca-Cola received criticism after a video of a training session, which told employees to "try to be less white", was leaked by an employee. The session also said in order to be "less white" employees had to be less "arrogant" and "defensive".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/366132|title=Coca-Cola Asks Its Workers to Be 'Less White' to Fight Racism|last=Del Río|first=Mairem|website=entrepreneur.com|date=February 25, 2021|accessdate=March 13, 2021|archive-date=December 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209080742/https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/366132|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/coca-cola-racism-robin-diangelo-coke-b1806122.html|title=Coca-Cola faces backlash over seminar asking staff to 'be less white'|last=Bremner|first=Jade|website=[[The Independent]]|date=February 24, 2021|accessdate=March 13, 2021|archive-date=March 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321181042/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/coca-cola-racism-robin-diangelo-coke-b1806122.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The company, along with Pepsico and other American conglomerates, has faced criticism and an ongoing boycott by the pro-Palestine movement, especially amidst the [[Gaza war]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Jiménez |first1=Miguel |last2=Pita |first2=Antonio |date=2024-02-18 |title=Pro-Gaza boycotts take a toll on US multinationals in the Middle East and wider Muslim world |url=https://english.elpais.com/economy-and-business/2024-02-18/pro-gaza-boycotts-take-a-toll-on-us-multinationals-in-the-middle-east-and-wider-muslim-world.html |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=EL PAÍS English |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=#BoycottCocaCola |url=https://www.foa.org.uk/campaign/boycottcocacola |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=FOA - Friends of Al-Aqsa |language=en}}</ref> Critics pointed to the company's ties with Israel, including its donations to far-right Zionist organization [[Im Tirtzu]], to justify the boycott.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alghoul |first=Diana |date=7 May 2017 |title=Coca-Cola 'donated thousands of dollars' to extremist Zionist group |url=https://www.newarab.com/features/coca-cola-donated-thousands-dollars-extremist-zionist-group |access-date=28 June 2024 |website=The New Arab}}</ref> In June 2024, Coca-Cola's Bangladesh distributor ran an ad in Bangladesh—where it faced a heavy boycott—attempting to distance the company from Israel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahmud |first=Faisal |title=Coca-Cola ad in Bangladesh sparks backlash for 'denying ties with Israel' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/12/coca-cola-ad-in-bangladesh-sparks-backlash-for-denying-ties-with-israel |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

===Colombian death-squad allegations===
{{Main|Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola Co.}}
In July 2001, the Coca-Cola Company was sued over its alleged use of [[far-right]] [[death squads]] (the [[United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia]]) to kidnap, torture, and kill Colombian bottler workers that were linked with [[trade union]] activity. Coca-Cola was sued in a US federal court in Miami by the Colombian food and drink union [[Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de Alimentos|Sinaltrainal]]. The suit alleged that Coca-Cola was indirectly responsible for having "contracted with or otherwise directed [[paramilitary]] security forces that utilized extreme violence and murdered, tortured, unlawfully detained or otherwise silenced trade union leaders". This sparked campaigns to boycott Coca-Cola in the UK, US, Germany, Italy, and Australia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Coca-Cola Accused|newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 29, 2001 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/29/weekinreview/july-22-28-coca-cola-accused.html|access-date=June 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224203333/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/29/weekinreview/july-22-28-coca-cola-accused.html|archive-date=December 24, 2019|url-status=live|last1=Forero |first1=Juan }}</ref><ref name="Guardian">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/24/marketingandpr.colombia |title=Coca-Cola boycott launched after killings at Colombian plants |date=July 24, 2003 |newspaper=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian |access-date=February 2, 2016 |last1=Brodzinsky |first1=Sibylla |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131115030/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/jul/24/marketingandpr.colombia |archive-date=January 31, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> Javier Correa, the president of Sinaltrainal, said the campaign aimed to put pressure on Coca-Cola "to mitigate the pain and suffering" that union members had suffered.<ref name="Guardian" />

Speaking from the Coca-Cola Company's headquarters in Atlanta, company spokesperson Rafael Fernandez Quiros said "Coca-Cola denies any connection to any human-rights violation of this type" and added "We do not own or operate the plants".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1448962.stm |title=Coke sued over death squad claims |date=July 20, 2001 |website=bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=February 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203134157/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1448962.stm |archive-date=December 3, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>