Why is it that Coca Cola Company makes and markets the relatively tasty Diet Coke product in North America and Europe, but instead makes and markets the absolutely horrendous Coca Cola Light product in third world territories?
Coca-Cola Light?! I’m intrigued. I’ve never heard of such a thing. Any links to can/bottle pictures?
That’s news to me - the product name here in Germany is Coca Cola Light, and I rather hope we are to be counted as Europe not Third World.
Are Diet Coke and Coca Cola Light in fact two different products?
On trips to Honduras, I used to order “coca lieta” (sp?), but I didn’t taste any recognizable difference what I received.
They have to call it light in some countries because they’re not allowed to call it diet.
Okay, from dietcoke.com:
What is the difference between Coke Light and diet Coke?
Coke Light and diet Coke are both low-calorie soft drinks, and we offer diet products for the segment of the population that prefers low-calorie carbonated beverages.
In certain countries, the word “diet” is not used to describe low-calorie foods and beverages. In these countries, we offer Coke Light. The sweetener blend used for Coke Light is formulated for each country based on consumer preference.
The official site hasn’t much useable material. “Coca-Cola light” is sold in Germany in the same bottle/can types as regular Coke, with labels/cans that basically have a silver background rather that a red one.
If I recollect correctly “Coca Cola light” always was the brand name for artificial-sweetener Coke, even in the remote days when saccharine rather than aspartame was used. It cannot called “Diet” or “Diät” something because that word is restricted to dietetic food.
Come to think of it, perhaps transitionality refers to some third-world Coca-Cola bottlers who might use saccharine rather than aspartame. Coca-Cola light sweetened with saccharine used to have a vile taste.
That is wrong. What they mean is in some countries the word diet is not allowed to be used to describe low calorie foods.
Well, it does appear (in light of the explanation from dietcoke.com) that the Diet Coke product has a standard formula across the different territories in which it is made and marketed, whereas the Coca Cola Light product is reinvented for each territoritory in which it is made and marketed. Hence the vile variations thereof I have been unfortunate enough to taste.
I got some Coca Cola Light, hecho en Mexico (made in Mexico), and it was indeed repulsive. I thought it would just be kinda like Mexican Diet Coke, but it had its own taste. It was almost like it was half aspartame, half real sugar. Which meant when you drank it, at first it was like “Hey, not bad!” because you taste the sugar, then as it gets further in your mouth the aspartame hits you like a train. It had more calories than an American Diet Coke, too.
I had been told that Diet Coke in cans and bottles, in the USA, and Diet Coke from fountains have a different taste because different sweeteners are used for each.
Reportedly the Diet Coke in cans and bottles is 100% Aspertame while the fountain mix is not.
Any facts available?
A few things to add here, all personal recollection.
Tab was (and actually still is) the name for the saccharine sweetened cola from the Coca Cola people in the USA.
Diet Coke appears to only use aspartame (NutraSweet) as a sweetener. In most other countries (Coca Cola Light) seem to be using a combination of aspartame and another artificial sweetener called acesulfame, which was only approved by the US FDA in 1998 according to this site.
Pepsi One, the new artificially sweetened beverage from Pepsico, uses both aspartame and acesulfame. I like Coca Cola Light, Diet Coke, and Pepsi One. I find that Coca Cola Light tastes most like Pepsi One. I think people who hate Pepsi One also hate Coca Cola Light and vice versa, and I attribute this mostly to the acesulfame.
I hate Pepsi One. The Coca Cola Light in France tastes a lot like the Diet Coke sold in Canada, which I believe may contain both Nutrasweet and acesulfame potassium IIANM.
So that is why Pepsi One tastes better than Diet Pepsi it is a shame they don’t sell it in Chicago much anymore.
When will companies start using Splenda? This is the best tasting artifical sweetener out there.
Sorry, no hard facts to back this up, but AFAIK, all drinks produced by local Coca-Cola franchises around the world are “adapted” to local taste. So, the “vile” product you got in parts of the world more different to you were, in fact, different because the population there likes it that way (or at least the local CC franchise marketing thinks so… but I suspect they get it right most of the time)
Skwerl has it right. That’s exactly how it tastes here in Finland. In addition I often get a head ache from it. Coca Cola Lemon is the same with a bit of lemon in it, which doesn’t make matters much better. I know nobody who likes Coca Cola Light and I’m in the target age group…
I second that!
Everytime I go to Mexico (which is quite often since I live in the TX-Mexico border), I order the Coca Light. I always forget how nasty it can taste. At first it tastes like reg. sugar soda when it hits you with a strong metallic flavor and THEN I remember why I don’t like to buy it.
BTW, though not sure this has happened to others, but in Mexico you HAVE to order “coca light” cuz if you order “coca de dieta” (diet coke) they give a 
look.
You could just drink Coca Cola. It won’t kill you.
Unless you’re diabetic.