THE WORLD’S best-known soft drink, Coca-Cola, is not exactly the same in Slovakia as it is in Germany or in the Czech Republic, recent tests by Slovakia’s Consumer Association have revealed.
The association had six branded products purchased in eight countries of the EU tested by the Slovak Veterinary and Food Institute and found that some transnational concerns sell, under one brand and in the same packaging, products with different contents, the Sme daily reported.
The Coca-Cola produced in four of the countries, including Slovakia, contained isoglucose, while in the other four samples there was no sign of it and sucrose was used instead, Sme wrote.
The Consumer Association suggested that isoglucose is used for economic reasons: it costs half what sucrose does.
Zdeněk Vilímek of Coca-Cola, however, told the Sme daily that the reason for the difference is technological.
“Our plant in Lúka near Piešťany is equipped for the production of drink with liquid fructose-glucose syrup and it cannot process crystal sugar,” he said, adding that the recipe for production of the syrup is the same all around the world.
Only one product was the same in all the tested markets: Milka Alpine milk chocolate. The biggest differences in quality were found in Kotányi black pepper.
The tested products were purchased by members of the association in normal supermarkets in Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. The products were tested both scientifically and sensorially.
