Recent news about Coca-Cola formula

As some of you were interested in the story of the formula of Coca-Cola the other day, here you have some   more information and recent news about it: 

Coca-Cola was invented by a pharmacist from Atlanta (Georgia) called John Pemberton in May 1886. The name was suggested to Pemberton by his bookkeeper  Frank Robinson, who also designed the famous logo of the brand, with the flowing letters everybody knows.  Originally Coca-Cola was sold as a medicine. Pemberton claimed that it was good to cure many diseases, such as headache, dyspepsia impotence, nerasthenia and morphine addiction. In 1887 another pharmacist, called Asa Candler, bought the formula to Pemberton and they started producing the beverageon large scale.  At the beginnig Coca-Cola was sold at soda fountains. Later it started being bottled and this way production and distribution could increase and expand to other parts of the country and the rest of the world. 

The original Coca- Cola bottle

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coca_cola_Bottle.png

Coca-Cola includes extracts of cocaine (from coca leaves) and kola nut, which contains caffeine. This composition caused some problems with the Food and Drug Administration in the past and the company had to prove that the quantities didn't create addiction. The current ingredients are carbonated water, sugar (sucrose or high -fructose corn syrup, depending on the countries), caffeine, phosphoric acid, caramel colour and natural flavourings. In 1985 Coca-Cola company launched a new formula, known as New Coke, but the public rejected it and the company had to come back to the classic coke. The original formula of Coca-Cola is placed in an air-conditioned vault at the World of Coca-Cola interactive exhibit in Atlanta, Georgia. 

World of Coca-Cola building

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Newworldofcocacola.jpg

The legend says that only two executives of the company have access to the formula at the same time, but in fact there are other people who know all the production process. 

There have been some recent news about the secret formula of Coca-Cola: 

- A historian called Mark Pendergrast has recently published a book, where he states that Frank Robinson's family gave him the secret formula. The book's name is For God, Country and Coca-Cola: The Definitive History of the Great American Soft Drink and the Company That Makes It and tells the story of the origins of the company. 

At the same time, an antiques dealer from Georgia called Cliff Kluge has tried to sell  another formula on E-Bay. He started the auction with 5 million dollars and wanted to sell it for 15 million dollars, but no one bid for the formula. 

Here you have the complete story: 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/the-real-thing-historian-publishes-cocacolas-secret-formula-8619076.html

- And here you have the experiment The Independent made with Mark Pendergrast's formula. They tried to concoct Coca-Cola following the recipe included in his book and this was the result: 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/not-quite-the-real-thing-cocacolas-secret-formula-is-out-of-the-bottle--but-can-the-famous-flavour-be-recreated-at-home-8621636.html