Does the drink Coca Cola contain a harmful acid that may also be used as an industrial rust converter, carcinogenic levels of caramel and worm extract? No, that's not true: Coca-Cola is a beverage with ingredients like phosphoric acid and high-fructose corn syrup, which is safe when consumed in moderation.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on December 5, 2023 with the caption (translated from Bulgarian to English by Lead Stories staff):
Coca Cola has admitted that it makes its drink from worms
The narrator says (as translated):
Coca Cola is a harmful acid that is used as an industrial rust converter and which destroys our teeth and burns our organs. It's a carcinogenic caramel with worm extract. How stupid do you have to be to drink Coke and give it to your kids and collect (bottle) caps? You must be very stupid.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Dec 11 21:40:32 2023 UTC)
Social media posts in Bulgaria have been sharing the false claim that Coca Cola is a carcinogenic acid and an effective rust remover, including this example from a post on Facebook on November 12, 2023, with the caption (as translated):
Have you ever wondered what Coca-Cola is? The Coke is the most valuable brand in history, and 'Coca-Cola' is the second most famous word in the world after 'hello'. However, the drink itself is absolute POISON for the human metabolism! Very acidic, the pH is only 2 points higher than battery acid This makes it suitable (and often better) for cleaning surfaces where we normally use toxic household products
Coca-Cola's acidity level is similar to that of other sodas and some fruit juices. While a chemical reaction between metals and the phosphoric acid contained in the drink can work to treat rust, it is not an industrial rust converter, which uses a water-based chemical solution to turn iron oxide (rust) into a more stable form, such as iron tannate.
Drinking Coca-Cola in moderation won't "burn" your organs, but too many sugary drinks can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes and other health problems. The sugar and acid in Coca-Cola can cause tooth decay and dental issues, but this is true for any food or drink with sugar and/or acid, not just Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola contains caramel coloring, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers safe for consumption; studies show the food coloring is not carcinogenic. The drink does not contain extracts or any other product related to worms. The drink's main ingredients are carbonated water, high-fructose corn syrup (or sucrose), caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine.
Other Lead Stories fact checks about alkaline food and drinks can be found here.
