How do Coca-Cola get around having to list all ingredients when they sell a bottled product? They just list 'flavourings' don't they - what if you're allergic to one of the anonymous ingredients? Are they just not allergens?
I guess a cocktail bar also has extra protection in that I think non-retail food and drinks don't have to list ingredients anyway.
Per the FDA[1], "some ingredients can be listed collectively as "flavors," "spices," "artificial flavoring," or in the case of color additives exempt from certification, "artificial colors", without naming each one. Declaration of an allergenic ingredient in a collective or single color, flavor, or spice could be accomplished by simply naming the allergenic ingredient in the ingredient list."
> what if you're allergic to one of the anonymous ingredients? Are they just not allergens?
Basically the only regulated allergens in the US are[2] milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans
[1] https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/overview...
[2] https://www.fda.gov/food/food-allergensgluten-free-guidance-...
In fact if my memory serves me correctly, an insider did in fact offer to sell the secret formula to Pepsi, who promptly reported it to Coke. After all, even if Pepsi did get the exact formula and reproduced it - they don't sell Coke, they sell Pepsi, and their market (presumably) prefers the taste of Pepsi to Coke, so changing the taste doesn't make much sense.
I mean look at the label and you can see this isn’t the case.
There's one ingredient (I think it's cola syrup but I could be wrong) which you can only get from one supplier, and Coke buys all of it.
(the cola half is the kola nut for caffeine)
Lobbying, I guess? Regulatory capture?