Why Did Coca-Cola Stop Using Coca Leaf in Its Original Recipe?
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4 min read
Pharmacist John S. Pemberton originally formulated Coca-Cola in 1886 as a 'nerve tonic' containing cocaine derived from the coca leaf and caffeine from the kola nut. Public fears and regulatory scrutiny in the early 1900s forced the company to formally stop using coca leaf extract containing the narcotic substance.
