One of the world's most fiercely guarded commercial secrets, the recipe for Coca-Cola, may have been unlocked by a determined scientist posting his findings on YouTube. Zach Armstrong, who runs the channel LabCoatz, asserts that after over a year of rigorous analysis, he has successfully deciphered the 139-year-old mystery formula.
The 99% Sugar Foundation and the Elusive One Per Cent
Armstrong's experiments confirm what many have long suspected: the iconic beverage is over 99 per cent sugar. A standard litre contains approximately 110g of sugar, 96mg of caffeine, 0.64g of phosphoric acid, and caramel colouring. The true challenge, however, lay in the composition of the vaguely labelled 'natural flavours', which constitute the remaining, crucial one per cent and give Coke its distinctive profile.
To solve this, Armstrong employed a sophisticated chemical test called mass spectrometry. This process breaks a substance into a charged gas, separating it into component molecules to create a unique chemical 'fingerprint'. By analysing a sample of genuine Coca-Cola, he obtained a blueprint of its molecular makeup.
Replicating the Flavour Without the Forbidden Leaf
A significant legal hurdle in replicating Coke is one of its original key ingredients: a cocaine-free extract of coca leaves. This extract is produced exclusively in the US by the Stepan Company, which holds a federal licence to import the leaves and does not sell the extract to the public.
Undeterred, Armstrong used the mass spectrometry data to build a chemically accurate replica without any coca leaf product. His breakthrough involved understanding that coca leaves are rich in tannins—bitter, astringent compounds found in tea and wine. Since tannins are non-volatile, they didn't appear in the initial spectrometry results.
Armstrong's solution was to add commercially available wine tannins in powder form, finally capturing the fresh, cooling notes that earlier versions of his formula lacked.
The Penny-Pinching Recipe Revealed
Armstrong's final formula is broken down into two concentrated solutions. Flavour Solution A is a precise blend of essential oils including lemon, lime, tea tree, cassia cinnamon, nutmeg, orange, coriander, and fenchol. This mixture is so potent that a single batch can flavour an estimated 5,000 litres of finished drink.
Flavour Solution B combines caramel colour, glycerin, phosphoric acid, vinegar, vanilla extract, the crucial wine tannins, and caffeine. To make a litre of the cola replica, one mixes sugar with water, adds tiny amounts of the diluted flavour solutions, heats the mixture, and finally dilutes it with cold sparkling water.
While the upfront cost for the pure ingredients and equipment is notable, Armstrong calculates that the diluted cost per litre is just pennies. He emphasises that all components are legal and available to buy online, though he cautions that some undiluted chemicals can be irritating and require careful handling.
According to Armstrong and his team of taste testers, the resulting beverage is almost indistinguishable from the genuine article in both chemical profile and flavour. The Daily Mail has approached Coca-Cola for a comment on these claims. This DIY revelation challenges the mystique of one of history's most famous trade secrets, proving that with modern science, even the most closely guarded formulas may not stay secret forever.
