The Grey Market for Coke

The secret is out. The special Coca Cola produced for Passover under the auspices of the Orthodox Union (OU) may actually be the premium Coke. Coca Cola officials in Atlanta are concerned by a growing demand by U.S. cola connoisseurs for foreign-made Coke, which has real sugar and costs more than the everyday variety made with high-fructose corn syrup, the ingredient that is removed for Passover. Unauthorized distribution networks for Mexican-made Coke have sprung up to truck the brown, fizzy soda across the Rio Grande and around the country. In Fort Worth, it can be found at outlets from Central Market and Fiesta Mart to family-owned taco stands. The Coca-Cola Co. in Atlanta says it wants the trafficking in Mexican Coke stopped. The soft drink industry switched from sugar to a 50/50 blend with high-fructose corn syrup in the early 1980s, then shifted gradually to just the corn sweetener, said Richard Adamson, the American Beverage Institute's vice president of scientific and technical affairs. Coca Cola produces a special version of the Coke for Passover where it replaces the corn syrup (kitniyot) with the sugar. The Passover Coke is an extremely popular item with Jews who observe Passover ands even with some non-Jews who are allergic to corn.

From Kosher Today