SUGGESTION Victor Canevari Reis, Paraguaçu Paulista, SP
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
IS IT TRUE THAT SHE CAN CORRODE CHICKEN BONES?
Yes, but not exactly because it is the Coke but because of the acids contained in the drink. In general, cola-type soft drinks (which include Pepsi, for example) contain phosphoric acid and carbonic acid. And both human and animal bone are formed by calcium carbonate, which, when in contact with an acid, ends up dissolving, turning into CO2 and water. This reaction occurs when you leave the bone soaked in the liquid, so obviously, this risk does not exist during ingestion. The Coca-Cola we drink goes to the digestive system, without contact with the skeleton.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
DOES IT REMOVE RUST?
The drink’s formula actually includes phosphoric acid, which, in high concentrations, is widely used in automotive painting. Therefore, many people believe that it is possible to use the Coke to eliminate rust – which is nothing more than the result of the interaction of iron atoms (Fe) with oxygen gas (O2) in a humid environment (H2O). But it would be necessary for the drink to have a much higher level of this acid in order to be able to perform this “cleaning” efficiently.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
DOES IT USE TO UNCLOAD PIA?
The answer to this question is similar to that of rust. Phosphoric acid is actually used in cleaning products. “The difference is that, in these products, it is in high concentration. In soft drinks, it corresponds to about 0.6% of the composition, just enough to preserve the product and intensify the flavor”, explains Márcia Guekezian, coordinator of the chemistry course at Mackenzie University, in São Paulo. So here’s the tip: if you were thinking of using it to unclog that disgusting drain, you better think of another idea…
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
IS IT TRUE THAT SHE RUNS HER TEETH?
Yes. All sodas, being acidic, can affect teeth. This process is called demineralization of tooth enamel: the process occurs with the change in saliva acidity levels, which end up dissolving the calcium phosphate of the teeth. By the way, the list of “villains” also includes other drinks, such as energy drinks, isotonic drinks and even apple juice. Therefore, it is recommended to always brush your teeth after consuming them.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
A COKE INVENTED SANTA CLAUS?
Not exactly, but it helped shape it as we know it today. He was already illustrated with red clothes, but the brand’s advertising helped to consolidate this image as the most common in the world’s imagination. The character began to appear in advertisements in 1931, when Coke began to advertise in more popular magazines. Archie Lee, an executive at advertising agency D¿Arcy, wanted a campaign that showed a wholesome Santa Claus that was both realistic and symbolic. Illustrator Haddon Sundblom was tasked with developing images that depicted Noel himself, not a man in costume. For inspiration, he turned to Clement Clark Moore’s 1822 poem “Before Christmas Eve.” The text evoked an image of a warm, friendly, chubby, humane Santa Claus.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
A COMPANY WAS IT ANTI-SEMITIC?
No. The rumor goes back to the 2nd World War – a time when Germany was the biggest market in the Coke outside the USA. But the conflict led to a commercial blockade, which prevented the German subsidiary from importing the necessary ingredients for the production of soda. So Chief Operating Officer Max Keith came up with the idea of making a new drink, with whatever he had on hand. In this case, whey from milk protein (by-product of cheese making), apple fiber (which comes from cider making), orange and grapes. Thus, Fanta was born, until today one of the most popular products of CokeCompany.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
TO TAKE COKE CAN MENTOS MAKE YOUR STOMACH EXPLODE?
Rest assured. You’ve certainly seen a video where someone drops Mentos-type lozenges into a bottle of Coke and it bubbles like crazy, but that’s impossible in the digestive system. The action of combining Mentos with Coke it is neutralized by hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
Understand why the mixture of soda and gum is bombastic:
1) The big “star” of the mixture is carbon dioxide. In the manufacture of Coke, it is pumped under high pressure to increase its solubility in the liquid. Therefore, any change in soda can encourage gas to try to escape.
two) The Mentos insert is porous, with several holes. They are like magnets for gas bubbles. When the bullet falls into Coke, it goes straight to the bottom of the bottle, and, in this trajectory, it gathers bubbles that unite and get bigger and bigger.
3) In the composition of Mentos there is gelatin and arabic gum, which break the surface tension of the liquid, dissipating more energy and helping to agitate the gas molecules even more.
4) To “make matters worse”, the citric acid in the candy dissolves and causes a violent series of reactions with the soda, generating more bubbles. As they are lighter, they tend to rise and merge, and end up dragging the soda with it until it bursts through the neck.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
DOES IT WORK AS AN INSECTICIDE?
No. It serves as a decoy to attract insects, but it does not have the ability to kill them. In some regions of India, because it is cheaper than pesticides, Coke is sprayed by farmers to attract red ants that feed on the larvae of harmful insects, but any other sweet liquid would end up having the same effect.
ORIGINALLY WAS SHE GREEN?
If one day someone thought that, it was a mere optical illusion. Until the mid-1950s, the color of glass soda bottles in the US was greenish. The container manufacturer, Root Glass Company, called this shade “Georgia Green”, in reference to the state in which The headquarters of The Coke Company. The color is due to the glass manufacturing process at that time. Over the years, evolution in production systems has made bottles transparent today and Coke has lost its green reputation.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE REVENUE OF COKE STILL SECRET?
It’s not completely secret. In any packaging of the brand, you will find the ingredients that compose it (water and sugar are the most used). But the ratio between them remains a secret. Since 1925, this formula was kept in a vault at the Sun Trust Bank, in Atlanta (the city where the company was founded). But, on December 8, 2011, it was transferred to World of Cokethe interactive collection maintained by the company at its headquarters in the same municipality.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
IS THE TASTE DIFFERENT IN EVERY COUNTRY?
True. Despite the production process of Coke all over the world being the same, some ingredients change from market to market. A curious case is that of “Mexicoke”. In the US market, you can find Cokes made in the country, sweetened with corn syrup, or the version produced in Mexico, which uses cane sugar. Some North Americans believe that this improves its flavor – hence its success and the nickname “Mexicoke”. The drink produced in Mexico to be sold within the country is sweetened by a mixture of corn syrup and cane sugar. Other factors, such as the conditions under which it is stored and the temperature at which it is consumed, can also alter the taste.
– (Leo Natsume/Strange World)
TAKE THE SLEEP?
Because it contains caffeine, it would even be able to keep a person awake longer – if they consumed lots and lots of doses. By way of comparison, a can of Coke 350 ml contains 35 mg of caffeine. A 60 ml cup of espresso, for example, has an average of 72 mg. That is, you would have to drink more than two cans of Coke to be as «high» as after a coffee. Small children, however, have a faster metabolism and other nutritional parameters, so they are at greater risk, yes, of losing sleep after drinking the drink.
CONSULTANCY Márcia Guekezian, coordinator of the chemistry course at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (São Paulo), Enilson Max Marins, gastroenterologist and coloproctologist at Conlab Serviços Médicos (São Gonçalo, RJ) and Fernando Márcio de Abreu Azevedo, pediatrician (Itaboraí, RJ)
SOURCES Book Christ to Cokeby Martin Kemp, websites Coke Brazil, Colgate, Earth, History It is The State of S. Paulo