Fanta
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2007) |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Introduced | 1940 |
| Website | fanta |
Fanta is a global brand of fruit-flavored soft drinks from the The Coca-Cola Company. There are over 70 flavors worldwide; however, most of them are only available in certain countries.
History
|
Fanta has its origins in Nazi Germany. When a trading ban was placed on Germany by the Allies during World War Two the Coca-Cola company was not able to import the syrup needed to produce Coca-Cola in Germany. As a result their chief-chemist Dr. Schetelig had to create a new product for the Germany market created using only ingredients available in Germany. They called the new product Fanta.
Primary competitors to Fanta have included Tango, Orangina, Mirinda, Slice, Orange Crush, and Tropicana Twister.[citation needed] Fanta was the second drink to be produced by Coca Cola, apart from the original coca cola.
Ingredients
The composition of Fanta, for the same flavor, varies from country to country. For example, the European Fanta Orange has orange juice (in variable percentages), whereas the US formulation does not [1]. The Australian version is 5% fruit juice, and South American formulations also have orange juice, especially in Brazil, where Fanta is 10% orange juice. These differences mean the taste of Fanta differs greatly from country to country, more so than regular Coca Cola, and may in part explain why the drink's popularity varies so much between different countries. Difference in coloring can be observed internationally, for example European Fanta Orange is a light orange almost yellow, in Latin and North American markets, deep orange coloring is used.
Spanish Fanta Orange formulation: [2]
- Carbonated water, sugar, 8% orange juice from concentrate, acidity regulator E-330 (citric acid), aromas, preserver E-211 (sodium benzoate), stabilizers E-414 (gum arabic), E-412 (guar gum), E-445, antioxidant E-300 (ascorbic acid), food coloring E-160a (Carotene) and gelatine (made from fish).
United States Fanta Orange formulation:
- Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium benzoate, modified food starch, natural and artificial flavors, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, sodium polyphosphates, coconut oil, yellow 6, brominated vegetable oil, red 40, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.
British Fanta Orange formulation: [3]
- Carbonated water, sugar (from beet and/or cane), orange fruit from concentrate (5%), citric acid, vegetable extracts (carrot, pumpkin), preservative (potassium sorbate), flavourings, sweeteners (sodium saccharin, aspartame), acidity regulator (sodium citrate)
Italian Fanta Orange formulation: [4]
- Water, 12% orange juice, sugar, carbon dioxide, citric acid, flavorings, preservative (potassium sorbate), stabilizer (gum arabic), antioxidant (ascorbic acid)
The combination of sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in some soft drinks may potentially lead to the formation of benzene. Benzene is a known carcinogen. However, Fanta has not been shown to contain benzene above the limits set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water. [5]
International Availability
There are over 70 different flavors worldwide. For example, in Romania, Macedonia, and some other countries, there is "Fanta Shokata" based on the traditional Romanian and Balkan drink Socata made from elderflower (a wordplay between "soc"- elderberry in Romanian- and "shock"). In Switzerland and the Netherlands the local fruit, blackcurrant, is used to produce Fanta as well. Some identical flavors have different names in different markets. The classic orange, for example, was rebranded "Fanta Funky Orange" in 2003 for the Nordic countries and Belgium, and to 'Fanta Original Orange' in the Netherlands while other countries retain the older "Fanta Orange" brand. As of the year 2005, the Fanta brand has been connected with the word Bambaacha (or Bamboocha), which is often seen in the Fanta commercials. TaB diet Cola was originally produced by the Fanta division of Coca-cola and was, at one time, available in a variety of non-cola flavors as well. Later in 2005, Fanta branched out into new Fanta Zero (diet versions) varieties in Great Britain. In 2008 in Great Britain and some other countries from Europe, Asia and Latin America, the new Fanta logo was introduced.
Advertising
|
In 2001, The Coca-Cola Company began folding what had been known as Minute Maid soft drinks (introduced in 1987 in the United States) and began an aggressive advertising campaign to expand the market for Fanta (which had been available in the United States since 1960), especially among younger consumers. Their campaign features The Fantanas, a fictional girl group whose tagline is Don't You Wanta Fanta? The Fantanas (and their flavors) are Amie (orange), Sophia (grape), Kaia (strawberry), and Mimi (pineapple). Along with traditional television and print advertisements, Fanta has been aggressively marketed in movies targeted at teenage audiences.
The Fantanas were parodied several times on the US show, "MADtv", during their 10th season, with former cast member Paul Vogt portraying yet another member of the group called 2 liter Beth: a fat, leering, sexually provocative, food-obsessed young woman with what could be called an "all-purpose", generic Latin accent.
Around 2003 the Fanta website allowed people to produce their own films, based on their televised advert. The advert featured people in a foreign country, with comic subtitles for their language. The Fanta Shokata website let people do similar with a variety of video clips.
In the United States, commercials for Fanta come with the tag line, "Wanna Fanta, don't you wanta?" It was changed to "Wanna Fanta, Fanta Fever!" when the Fanta Fever drink was introduced.
In 2008, Jonti Picking (alias 'Weebl') was commissioned to produce a series of Flash animated web toons/games to advertise the product within the UK. Located on Picking's 'Weebl's Stuff' site (made popular for his own independent animations), the series focuses on Jimmy 2 Hats (a short, squeaky voiced man) and The Evil Ruler of the Hades Cluster (a tall, raspy voiced alien) whose attempts to have fun are threatened by a group of Marvin Martian-like police officers enforcing an official 'No Fun' law. The cartoons take a self mocking approach, similar to many of Picking's other commercially commissioned animations. Fanta is constantly referenced as being the most fun thing in existence in a range of increasingly unsubtle ways.
References
- ^ Fanta Ingredients - Orange Juice Percentage Variation by Country
- ^ Fanta Orange 2 l. bottle informational label
- ^ Coca-Cola Your Health
- ^ Fanta Orange 1.75 l. bottle informational label
- ^ Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages
