Coca-Cola - Drink of the Death Squads
For the folks out there who are still patronizing Coca-Cola products, apart from health reasons, below are more reasons why you should stop.
Pass on.
CBS, “Bottled H2O Backlash,” July 8, 2009
Millions of Americans prefer bottled water over tap. But, as Kelly Wallace reports, a new congressional report indicates there is little evidence as to what is actually inside those bottles.
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Notebook: Bottled Water, July 8, 2009
Katie Couric questions how much Americans know about the bottled water they drink. Researchers say tap water is often as good as the water that costs two dollars.
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Courier Leader [Michigan], “Brockovich representative declares action has started against Coca-Cola,” By Deborah Klinger, July 6, 2009
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” Paw Paw residents experiencing well water contamination are moving forward with a lawsuit against Coca-Cola North America. Robert Bowcock, chief investigator for environmental crusader Erin Brockovich, held his second town hall meeting in Paw Paw Monday night. Bowcock, stepping in for Brockovich, whose scheduled appearance was canceled due to illness, announced that the Brockovich group now represents people from the area. He said that with the law firm Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C., of New York, they would be filing suit against Coca-Cola for groundwater contamination. The contamination is allegedly caused from the spraying of juice waste on fields located behind the Paw Paw facility. Juice waste sprayed on fields in large quantities can strip metals from the soil and make them soluble in groundwater.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “A look at Coke around globe: ‘Devil’ takes readers on worldwide journey.Author chronicles how PR powerhouse ignores victims of its practices.” By Gina Webb, June 28, 2009
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“Do things always go better with Coke? Not necessarily. Colombia, El Salvador, Turkey and India are some of the places where British comedian and political activist Mark Thomas traveled ‘to find the reality behind the PR image of the world’s most famous brand, Coca-Cola’ —- a harsh reality that formed the basis for his book ‘Belching Out the Devil…’
“What Thomas discovers is shocking: According to workers and human rights organizations, Sinaltrainal, after more than a decade of union-busting attacks and intimidation by paramilitaries allegedly hired by the Coca-Cola plants, is struggling to survive.”
Newsweek, “We Read It So You Don’t Have To: ‘Belching Out The Devil’, ” June 6, 2009
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“…he writes, the iconic white-and-red ribbon is a slick PR blindfold for child labor, union crackdowns and even violence, all to protect cash flow and the supply chain…The company, Thomas contends, looked the other way as some bottlers in Colombia and elsewhere intimidated and attacked union organizers, who ‘walk with a gravestone’ on their backs. Pressured to audit Colombian plants in 2005, Coke helpfully noted a substandard number of fire extinguishers at one, but didn’t address the charges.”
Buy Book from Amazon or Powells
The Coca-Cola Co. Pays Big Bucks for Another Award
Advertising Age, “Ad Council to Honor Coca-Cola Chief: Muhtar Kent to Receive 56th Annual Public Service Award”
“The Ad Council has selected Muhtar Kent, chairman-CEO of Coca-Cola Co., to receive its 56th annual Public Service Award. The award will be presented at the Ad Council’s annual dinner Nov. 18 in New York.”
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Each time Coca-Cola receives an award, a bit of research shows that a Coke executive is on the board of the company giving the award or Coke is a large contributor to the company. In the case of the Ad council, Coke is listed as a member of the company’s President’s Circle, contributors of more than $150,000.
Check list of contributors
Associated Press, “Venezuela: Coca-Cola Zero has harmful sweetener,” By Fabiola Sanchez, June 12, 2009
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“Venezuela’s Health Ministry said Friday it banned sales of Coca-Cola Zero because the company failed to declare that the no-calorie soft drink uses an artificial sweetener allegedly harmful to health. Health officials said tests show the cola contains sodium cyclamate. Coca-Cola Co. disputes that, saying the product sold in Venezuela uses different artificial sweeteners, Acesulfame-K and Aspartame. (see below re: aspartame)”
Financial Times, “Venezuela bans Coke Zero, citing ‘harmful’ ingredients,” By Benedict Mander in Caracas, June 11, 2009
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“Health minister Jesus Mantilla said the zero-calorie drink ’should be withdrawn from circulation to preserve the health of Venezuelans,’ while the government investigated its ingredients which it said could be ‘harmful’.”
Coke has used sodium cyclamate in its drinks in some parts of the world. While not allowed to use it in the U.S., the company was using the artificial sweetener in Mexico until about a year ago. However, replacing cyclamates with aspartame is not a solution (see the piece by Betty Martini below).
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “ZERO TO ZERO IN MEXICO: Same name, new sweetener: After protest, Coke publicly dumps cyclamates,” By Jeremy Schwartz, March 13, 2008
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“Coca-Cola has reformulated the Mexican version of Coke Zero, removing a controversial artificial sweetener that is banned in the U.S. and caused an outcry from consumer advocates in Mexico.
“The company said the change will give the diet drink a taste closer to that of Coca-Cola Classic and had nothing to do with concerns over sodium cyclamate [the usual Coke Co. denial], a sweetener banned in the U.S. 39 years ago by the Food and Drug Administration after lab findings suggested it posed a cancer risk.”
“Coke’s Aspartame Campaign to Bring You Pain – Gets Award,” By Dr. Betty Martini
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“…That word is aspartame, and [Coke’s] only recourse is denial, denial, denial, though every ad and commercial builds higher the scaffold upon which Coke shall surely hang. Reality is in that twisted Diet Coke can. It’s poison. It’s killing the unborn, raining tumors and seizures on the population, destroying children, incapacitating workers, mimicking MS, erasing memory and blinding. Inexorably Diet Coke visits a plague of 92 symptoms listed by our FDA on a secret report they’ll never show that names diet soda as the top cause of aspartame disease. And yes, Death was one of the 92.
“Diet Coke is poison! And it’s addictive; some victims drink several liters a day and keep it on their nightstands. If Coke changes the formula to remove aspartame the world will heal and the surge of hatred and vengeance by the disabled and bereaved shall certainly destroy Coca Cola.
“The poison in Diet Coke is aspartame. As a member of the National Soft Drink Association, Coke opposed FDA approval of aspartame for beverages. Their objections, running to several pages published in the Congressional record of 5/7/85, said aspartame is uniquely and inherently unstable and breaks down in the can. It decomposes into formaldehyde, methyl alcohol, formic acid, diketopiperazine and other toxins. In a test on 7 monkeys 5 had grand mal seizures and one died, a casualty rate of 86%.
“Coke knew; and knowing, broke their good faith contract with customers, a breach shown by their English plot to program vending machines to kite the price with the temperature. Dissatisfied with selling flavored sugar water plus phosphoric acid, they switched to pushing an addictive formula called “Diet”. Addiction multiplies consumption, so Diet Coke soared off the sales charts, spreading obesity. We’re fatter because aspartame suppresses serotonin and makes us crave carbohydrates.”
The New York Times, “[New York] State Agencies to Phase Out Use of Bottled Water,” By Sewell Chan, May 5, 2009
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“Citing both financial and environmental reasons, Gov. David A. Paterson signed an executive order on Tuesday directing state agencies to phase out the purchase and use of bottled water at government workplaces.
“The order will gradually terminate the use of state money for the purchase of single-serve water bottles and larger, cooler-sized water bottles. Each executive agency will have to provide alternative water sources, like ordinary tap water fountains and dispensers.”
NYS Gov David Patterson’s Executive Order
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, “UMass students boycott Coca-Cola: Call for end to ‘exclusive pouring rights’ contract,” By Hannah McGoldrick, May 3, 2009
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“Today, the ‘Campaign to Stop Killer Coke’ at the University of Massachusetts will be holding a boycott against all Coca-Cola products.
“The campaign at UMass is a nascent organization beginning to gain ground among students. Boone Shear, a member of the organization and an anthropology doctoral candidate at UMass, said ‘the boycott is meant as a symbolic beginning and as an informational, consciousness-raising exercise.’ ”
Momentum, “UCATS Reaffirms Coke Ban–NYU Lifts It,” By Rob Lesko, Spring 2009
Union of Clerical, Administrative & Technical Staff at NYU, Local 3882, NYSUT, AFT, AFL-CIO
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“After reviewing the ILO report, the UCATS executive council has come to the same conclusion as the advocates of the Coke ban—it does not address the murders of union activists at Coke’s bottling plants in Colombia. On March 11th, the UCATS Executive Council voted to re-affirm our 2005 resolution to boycott Coca-Cola products for our member events and we call upon our members to avoiding purchasing Coke products until further notice.”