Fanta

Fanta is a fruit-flavored soft drink brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company, created in 1940 in Nazi Germany during World War II. A trade embargo cut off Coca-Cola GmbH's supply of syrup ingredients, so the German head of Coca-Cola, Max Keith, instructed chemists to formulate a new drink using locally available byproducts. The original recipe relied on whey from cheese production and apple pomace from cider pressing, which gave the beverage a yellowish hue. The name "Fanta" derives from the German word "Fantasie" (imagination), which Keith encouraged his team to employ. By 1943, Fanta was selling three million cases annually. After the war, Coca-Cola reacquired the German subsidiary and officially launched the modern orange Fanta in Naples, Italy, in 1955, using local citrus ingredients.

Today, Fanta offers over 200 distinct flavors globally, with Orange serving as the flagship variant. Regional variations are significant: Japan has Fanta Peach and Fanta Melon; Brazil offers Fanta Guarana and Fanta Passion Fruit; Europe features Fanta Shokata (elderflower and lemon); and the UK recently launched Fanta Zero Sugar with a reformulated recipe that reduced sugar by 30% in 2023. Fanta also produces Fanta Fun (a smaller portion for kids) and limited-edition flavors tied to events like Halloween, such as Fanta Ghost in the US. The brand's identity is built on fun, youthful, and playful energy, with a logo featuring a custom script font and a leaf accent over the "a". In the 2010s, Fanta launched the "Fanta: Taste the Fun" campaign targeting Gen Z, and in 2018 introduced the Fanta Play app, allowing users to scan bottles for augmented reality games.

The brand's origin in Nazi Germany remains a persistent point of controversy. While the drink was created out of necessity, it was produced and sold by a German subsidiary of an American company during the Nazi regime, and there are documented instances of the Fanta factory in Germany using forced labor during World War II. Coca-Cola has acknowledged this history in corporate social responsibility reports but has not issued a formal apology. Additionally, Fanta has faced criticism in the US for its high sugar content (44g per 12oz can) and for using artificial dyes like Yellow 6 and Red 40, which are banned or restricted in some European countries. In 2023, Fanta launched a global rebranding effort, updating its logo with a more modern, bolder typeface and introducing a unified Fanta Orange visual identity across markets. In 2024, the brand introduced Fanta Zero Sugar in the US with a new formula using stevia and monk fruit to reduce sugar by 40% while maintaining taste, and expanded its Fanta Remix line with limited-edition flavors like Fanta Blue Raspberry and Fanta Strawberry Lemonade.[edit]