Why Fanta lemon tastes so much better when you’re not in the UK

There are some things about a British holiday that are universal.

Somebody will catch a bit of the sun, whilst someone else will take a snap of themselves by the pool and comment 'This is my new office'.

And of course, somebody will draw a comparison to life back in Britain.

Pixabay

Usually, it'll be something substantial like the quality of public transport, but more often than not, we go back to the basics - food and drink.

And when it comes to one fizzy beverage, the difference is stark. 'Fanta tastes so much better abroad', British tourist will often say, but why is that?

Well, it all comes down to sugar.

The UK's recipe had to be changed due to the 'sugar tax', meaning its content was cut by a third.

Since 2017, Fanta sold in the UK has had a sugar content of 4.6g per 100ml.

Previously, it was more than 5g.

Coca Cola had opted to cut the sugar content of all its drinks sold in the UK, with the exception of Coca Cola Classic which still has 11g of sugar per 100ml.

In other European countries, the sugar levels have been reduced but to different levels.

There are variations of Fanta throughout Europe.

In Spain and Portugal, the sugar content is at a similar level to the UK.

However, Fanta sold in Italy is three times higher than the UK with a sugar content of 11.8g per 100ml.

The figure is similarly high in Greece with 8g and in Germany with 7.6g.

This isn't the only reason for the differences in taste.

Fanta Orange, for example, has more orange juice in the Italian recipe - 12% compared to 3.7% in the UK version.

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Coca Cola said: "We produce Fanta Orange across Europe and the juice content may vary in different countries.

"Throughout Europe, Fanta Orange is sweetened with either sugar or a combination of sugar and sweeteners. We are constantly working to reduce the sugar content in our drinks.

"For this reason, you may notice that the content of sugar or sweeteners in the drink varies from country to country. In Germany, for example, we launched Fanta Orange with reduced sugar content without any sweeteners."

The company also suggests that the reason why Fanta and Coke taste better abroad is due to psychological factors.

They said: "The basic ingredients and process used to make Coca‑Cola are the same in all countries, although people perceive taste in very different ways.

"It is possible for the same soft drink to vary slightly in taste due to other factors such as the temperature at which it is consumed, the foods with which it is consumed, or the conditions in which it is stored prior to consumption."

Topics: Food And Drink, UK News

Ben Thompson