The Interesting Reason Some Coke Bottles Have Yellow Caps Right Now
Coca Cola bottles
Coca-Cola has been busy lately, from their fruity limited K-Wave Zero Sugar release to their TikTok Shop exclusive to their recent unveiling of limited edition Marvel character cans.
But we've noticed another thing about the bottle we know and love—some of the caps are yellow this time of year. Turns out, the soda giant produces a different formulation that's special for Passover. But why? We turned to the experts for more info. Read on to see why Coca-Cola bottle caps go from red to yellow in the springtime.
Why are Coca-Cola caps yellow?
Around Passover every year (this year it's April 22 through April 30), Coca-Cola releases a special bottle so soda lovers who keep kosher can celebrate with their favorite drink. The yellow-capped Cokes are made with cane sugar instead of the regular high fructose corn syrup (which isn't kosher; see below for the why on that). Coca-Cola also ensures that the yellow-capped Coke is supervised during production to meet the kashrut standards (i.e., the laws of keeping kosher) for Passover.
Leah Gottheim, VP of Kosher.com, a platform that publishes kosher recipes, articles and videos highlighting Jewish cuisine, says many kosher for Passover products you see at the store use sugar instead of corn syrup, which is "nearly ubiquitous in many processed American foods." And people can taste the difference.
"My brother actually prefers the taste of Passover ketchup!" she says.
Why isn't corn syrup kosher for Passover?
According to Rabbi Steven Philp, associate Rabbi at Mishkan Chicago, Jews avoid eating chametz during Passover. Chametz is defined as a leavened product containing any one of five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye). The custom is to avoid these ingredients entirely and this is a Torah-based prohibition. Enter kitniyot, which are products like beans, corn and rice (including corn syrup, which is what is used in Coca-Cola). Gottheim says avoiding the consumption of kitniyot products, which include corn, is now part of the basic standard for observant Ashkenazic Jews.
Rabbi Steven says this custom originated in the Middle Ages, for one of several reasons. "They were often stored alongside the grains that constitute chametz; they closely resembled chametz (especially when ground) that they might be confused with it; or eating a product made with kitniyot (like a corn muffin) might give the wrong impression to others since it looks like something made with chametz (such as a regular muffin)," he says.
Are Cokes with yellow caps more expensive?
Because Coca-Cola changes their recipe to make their famous beverage Kosher for Passover, Gottheim says some people also think that it makes the soda more expensive. However, this isn't the case.
"It's a misconception that kosher certification increases the cost of a product from a large corporation like this," she says. "Historically, companies take the cost of certification out of their marketing budget."
Related: Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero: Which One's Better for You?
Do Cokes with yellow caps taste different?
Hardcore Coca-Cola fans seem to think so. Just ask anyone who prefers Mexican Coca-Cola to American. Coca-Cola used to use sucrose (from beet or cane sugar) in their American Coke recipe, but since the '80s, they've used high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). So if you're a fan of the highly-coveted (and sometimes hard to find) glass bottled Mexican Cokes, you'll be excited to hear that the yellow-capped Coke appearing on store shelves this month is the same recipe: carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid, natural flavors and caffeine. If you're curious, head to the store now and stock up before it's gone for the year!
Next: 9 Genius Ways To Cook (And Bake) Matzo During Passover
