Green Coca Cola, A New, Natural Refreshment. Really?
I had to do a double take. When I was in Mexico, I saw an attractive picture on a billboard; it featured a rustic, weathered wagon in the foreground amidst a field of tall, willowy grass. It would’ve been the perfect backdrop for a basket full of pumpkins or perhaps fruit gathered at the local market. But, no. It did have something green in it, though…a six pack of the new, green Coca Cola. Wow. Apparently, Coca Cola feels ‘green is the new red’. And since Coca-Cola Life, as it’s called, is a “mid-calorie product that’s sweetened with a combination of sugar and Stevia, a sweetener perceived as natural because it’s made from the leaves of a plant”, it’s a much healthier option, right? Oh, dear. While I suppose that drinking a bit less corn syrup is marginally better than drinking more corn syrup, this is a complete farce. Just call a spade a spade. If there’s any product on the market that consumers can’t possibly see as a healthy option under any circumstances, surely it must be soft drinks, mustn’t it? I mean, come on now! There’s plenty of confusing information about many of the foods we avoid on a True Paleo regime being good for us, mainly perpetuated by the supporters / sponsors of the USDA’s food pyramid (again- Coke, General Mills, Kelloggs’ and the Dairy Board) but is anyone out there really thinking soda is good…ever? And does Coca Cola really need more variations of their product to target new demographics? It’s like eating ice cream as a means to get calcium. People don’t eat ice cream to get Calcium. There are many reasons why they may ingest it, but it’s not because they need a viable source of this essential mineral. I shudder to think about how this new and improved option will further the incidence of obesity and diabetes. Well done, Coca Cola!