INGREDIENTS
Caffeine is an ingredient found in many beverages and foods, such as coffee, tea, colas and chocolate. It is one of the ingredients that helps give Coca‑Cola its unique great taste.
How much caffeine is in Coke? How much caffeine is in Diet Coke?
People are often surprised when they learn that the amount of caffeine in Coke or Diet Coke is much less than in the same-sized coffee. Coke’s caffeine content is 34mg for a 12-oz can, and Diet Coke caffeine content is 46mg. That’s three to four times less than coffee! The same-sized coffee, in this case a 12-oz cup, has 140mg or more.
Do you have caffeine-free soda?
We know not everyone likes caffeinated drinks or wants them all the time. That’s why we offer a range of caffeine-free beverages, so people can make the choice for themselves and their families.
Some are caffeine-free versions of our classic Coca‑Cola beverages. Others are naturally caffeine-free, like our juices and waters. Did you know? Sprite and Fresca soda are also caffeine-free.
Enjoy these popular caffeine-free drinks:
- Caffeine-Free Coca‑Cola, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke and Caffeine-Free Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar
- Seagram’s Ginger Ale, Diet Ginger Ale, Tonic and Seltzer
- Sprite and Sprite Zero
- Fanta, Fanta Grape and Fanta Zero Orange
- Juices like Simply and Minute Maid
How can I tell if there’s caffeine in my drink?
We include caffeine information in multiple places including caffeine content near the Nutrition Facts label on our cans and bottles.
Is caffeine bad for you?
Caffeine is known to be safe when consumed in moderation. Every day, millions of people enjoy food and beverages with caffeine, including coffee, tea and soft drinks. Because caffeine has been consumed for centuries, we know a lot about it. It is widely studied, and how much we use in our drinks is known to be safe.
We know not everyone likes caffeinated drinks or wants them all the time though. That’s why we offer a range of caffeine-free beverages, including Caffeine-Free Coca‑Cola, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke, Sprite and Fresca soda so you can make the choice for yourself and your families.
If you are concerned about the effects of caffeine, speak to your doctor.
How much caffeine is too much?
Caffeine is known to be safe when consumed in moderation. Scientists and health authorities generally say that moderate caffeine intake is about 400 mg/day for most healthy adults. They advise a lower intake for pregnant women. This is much more than is found in a 12oz can of Coca‑Cola. We recommend that anyone with questions about caffeine intake speak with their doctor.
Is caffeine addictive?
Caffeine is a mild stimulant, and if you have it regularly and then stop abruptly, you may experience some minor effects. But most of us can reduce or eliminate caffeine from our diets without serious problems.
Many people around the world enjoy consuming caffeine every day, in beverages like coffee, tea and soft drinks. People are often surprised to learn that Coca‑Cola actually contains much less caffeine than in the same amount of coffee.
We know that not everyone drinks caffeine and not everyone wants to drink it all the time, so we also offer a range of caffeine-free beverages, including Caffeine-Free Coca‑Cola, Caffeine-Free Diet Coke, Sprite and Fresca, so people can make the choice for them and their families.
If you have questions about caffeine, we recommend you contact your doctor.
There are 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz Coca‑Cola can. Our smaller portion sizes, like our 7.5 oz mini soda can, have less sugar and fewer calories.
Coca‑Cola comes in several sizes (availability varies based on geography).
- 7.5 oz – 25g of sugar and 90 calories
- 8 oz – 26g of sugar and 100 calories
- 8.5 oz – 28g of sugar and 100 calories
- 12 oz – 39g of sugar and 140 calories
- 16 oz – 52g of sugar and 190 calories
- 20 oz – 65g of sugar and 240 calories
Do you have any drinks with fewer calories?
We are committed to making more reduced- and no-sugar versions of many of the drinks you love available and making them easier to find. In 2023:
- 30% of our volume sold was low- or no-calorie beverages.
- 46% of our sparkling soft drink brands were sold in packages of 250 mL (8.5 oz.) or less.
- ~68% of the products in our beverage portfolio have less than 100 calories per 12-oz. serving.
How is The Coca‑Cola Company reducing sugar from their drinks?
People’s tastes and preferences are changing, so we’re changing, too. Driven by our passion for consumers, we have been shifting our mindset and culture, as well as the way we measure our success, resulting in bold action to transform our portfolio.
- Gradually reducing sugar across our entire portfolio - we are taking action on sugar reduction even where it means changes to our most popular, time-tested products—putting our strength in innovation to work for our consumers’ evolving needs.
- Making smaller, more convenient packages so controlling sugar intake is easier - smaller, more convenient packaging helps people control sugar intake more easily for themselves and their families. In 2023, 46% of our sparkling soft drink brands were sold in packages of 250 mL (8.5 oz.) or less.
- Offering more new drinks with nutrition and functional benefits.
- Giving people the information they need to make informed choices - we continue to put clear, easy-to-find nutrition information right up front to support informed choices, without the guesswork.
Is soda bad for you?
People have been enjoying Coca‑Cola for 138 years. They love the unique taste. But, we know people have concerns about eating or drinking too much sugar. That is why we’re taking action should you want less sugar.
And so you have choices to help manage your sugar and calorie intake, we have:
- a variety of great-tasting beverages with reduced or no-added sugar
- smaller sizes available, like our 7.5-oz. mini soda cans of Coca‑Cola
- calorie information on the front of our bottles and cans
Many of our beverages contain sugar, which has calories. While sugar is fine in moderation, too much of it isn’t good for anyone. Having too many calories, including from soft drinks with sugar, can contribute to weight gain.
If you are concerned about your health or diet, please speak to your doctor.
Do you have sugar-free drinks?
We want to give you choices, so you can decide what’s right for your lifestyle and diet.
Check out these options, including sugar-free soda:
- Diet Coke
- Coke Zero Sugar
- DASANI
- Topo Chico Mineral Water
- Gold Peak Unsweetened Tea
- smartwater
- Sprite Zero
- vitaminwater zero
How can I tell if I have a sugar-free soda?
We know it’s important for you to have clear nutrition facts about your favorite beverages. We are committed to providing transparent back- and front-of-pack nutrition information on all our products, in line with local regulations, so that consumers may make choices that fit their diets and lifestyles.
Our SmartLabel™ QR codes on our products also include nutrition facts about our Coca‑Cola products.
Aspartame is a sugar alternative, used in place of sugar in many foods and drinks to provide people with a reduced, low or no sugar and calorie option. We use aspartame in some of our products because we know that many people want the choice of great tasting beverages with less sugar and fewer calories.
Is aspartame safe?
Yes. Aspartame is safe. It is one of the most thoroughly researched ingredients in the world.
Science and health professional organizations have affirmed sugar substitutes, like aspartame, are safe. So have food safety authorities, like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Health Canada, and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ).
However, if you have the rare hereditary disorder phenylketonuria (PKU), you should strictly limit your intake of phenylalanine. This is a common amino acid found in aspartame. If we use aspartame, we say on our bottles and cans that there is phenylalanine so please check closely.
Have questions about PKU or your diet? Please talk to your doctor.
What Coca‑Cola products contain aspartame?
We sweeten several of our drinks with aspartame like some of these favorites:
- Coke Zero Sugar
- Diet Barq’s
- Diet Coke
- Fanta Zero
- Fresca
- Gold Peak Diet Tea
- Mello Yello Zero
- Minute Maid Light
- Pibb Zero
- Seagrams Ginger Ale Zero Sugar
- Sprite Zero
*Sweeteners in products may differ from market to market around the world.
Why do you use aspartame in your drinks?
Aspartame is a sugar alternative, used in place of sugar in many foods and drinks to provide people with a reduced, low or no sugar and calorie option. We use aspartame in some of our products, including [Diet Coke and Coke Zero], because we know that many people want the choice of great tasting beverages with less sugar and fewer calories.
All our beverages can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.
Do your popular sodas contain aspartame?
a. Coca‑Cola
No. Our Coca‑Cola Classic taste is not sweetened with aspartame. Depending on where you are in the world, we use either high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar to give you that refreshing taste you love.
b. Coke Zero
Yes. We sweeten Coke Zero Sugar in our bottles and cans with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium (or Ace-K). Together, they create a great taste with zero sugar and zero calories.
c. Diet Coke
Yes. Diet Coke in our bottles and cans is sweetened with aspartame. We also offer Diet Coke sweetened with SPLENDA®.
d. Sprite
No, but Sprite Zero in the US is sweetened with a blend of aspartame and Ace-K for a crisp, clean taste with reduced or no calories.
How can I tell if my soda contains aspartame?
We know it’s important for you to have clear facts about your favorite beverages, including the ingredients we use. That’s why we make ingredient information simple and easy to find.
One of the first places you can look is the ingredients list next to the Nutrition Facts label. It’s on the back of every can or bottle.
Our SmartLabel™ QR codes on our packaging also include nutrition facts about our Coca‑Cola products.
Is there a link between diet sodas containing aspartame and cancer?
The safety of our ingredients and beverages is really important to us. As aspartame is a key ingredient used in a number of our products, we’re interested in all studies on it. Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly researched ingredients in the world, with scientific studies consistently confirming its safety. It has been confirmed as safe by globally recognized authorities, including the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
All our beverages can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.
Learn more about our brand portfolio and what's in our products.
Artificial sweeteners (sometimes called sugar alternatives or substitutes) can replace sugar in foods and drinks to give you a sweet taste but with few or no calories. They are often several hundred times sweeter than sugar. So compared to sugar, only a little is needed for the same sweet taste.
We use sugar substitutes because while sugar in moderation is fine, too much sugar isn’t good for anyone. We know people have concerns about eating or drinking too much sugar. That is why we offer choices with less sugar or without sugar.
Do you use artificial sweeteners?
Yes. We are always rethinking many of our recipes to give you options with less sugar and fewer or no calories. To do this, we use a range of artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes, like Stevia leaf extract and aspartame. Each has its own unique taste and is often several hundred times sweeter than sugar. So compared to sugar, only a little is needed for the same sweet taste.
Which artificial sweeteners does The Coca‑Cola Company use?
We use a number of different sugar alternatives in our drinks, including:
- Acesulfame potassium
- Brand names - Sweet One®, Sunett®
- Calories – 0
- Sweetness - 200x sweeter than sugar
- Aspartame
- Brand names - Nutrasweet®, Equal®
- Calories – 16 calories per teaspoon*
- Sweetness - 200x sweeter than sugar
- Stevia leaf extract
- Brand names - Truvia®, PureVia®
- Calories – 0 calories per teaspoon
- 200x to 400x sweeter than sugar
- Sucralose
- Brand names - SPLENDA®
- 0 calories per teaspoon
- 600x sweeter than sugar
*While sugar also has 16 calories per teaspoon, you don't need as much aspartame to get the same sweet taste you love.
Why does The Coca‑Cola Company use artificial sweeteners?
We want to give you great-tasting choices with fewer or no calories, so you can decide what’s right for your lifestyle and diet. We also use sugar substitutes because they are confirmed safe by the FDA and thoroughly tested in scientific studies.
Learn more about our brand portfolio and what's in our products.