Fresca
Fresca is a grapefruit-flavored citrus soft drink created by The Coca-Cola Company. Borrowing the word Fresca (meaning "fresh") from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, it was first introduced in the United States in 1966. Originally only a sugar-free diet soda, a sugar sweetened version has been introduced in some markets.
Type | Soft drink |
---|---|
Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
Country of origin | United States |
Introduced | 1966 |
Flavor | Black Cherry, Cherry Citrus, Citrus Lime, Grapefruit, Grapefruit Mint, Lemon, Lime and Peach[1] |
Variants | Fresca 1 |
Website | www |
History
Since introduction in 1966,[2] Fresca has been marketed in the United States as a sugar-free, lime and grapefruit-flavored diet soft drink.[3] Fresca has undergone several major ingredient changes since its introduction. It was originally sweetened with cyclamates, which were banned by the FDA in 1969, and replaced with saccharin. That was replaced by NutraSweet-brand aspartame. Around the time of the 2005 redesign, acesulfame potassium was added as a secondary sweetener.
Coca-Cola markets a sugar sweetened version of Fresca in Latin America. In 1997, The Coca-Cola Company responded to requests for this product from immigrant communities by launching it throughout the U.S. as Citra. This was a success but is instead sold as the Citrus flavor in Coca-Cola's Fanta line in areas with large Hispanic populations. In Colombia and Argentina sweetened Fresca is called Quatro and marketed using Fresca's colors and logos.
Fresca was made available in South Africa during the early 1990s with a series of colorful ads featuring British-Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim with the slogan "Nothing tastes like Fresca". The soft drink developed a cult following but sales were discontinued.[4]
Fresca packaging has been redesigned several times, although advertising continues to emphasize sophistication. In 2005, Coca-Cola gave Fresca a more contemporary look, Fresca's first makeover since 1995. During this redesign, two new flavors were introduced (Sparkling Peach Citrus and Sparkling Black Cherry Citrus) and the original grapefruit flavor was renamed Sparkling Citrus.[5] Later, "Sparkling" was dropped and the original flavor was renamed Original Citrus. Several additional flavors have been added to the line-up since 2005, although those do not seem to have survived.
Coca-Cola announced revamped packaging again in 2018 along with a new marketing campaign targeted towards millennials – the first Fresca advertising since 2008 – with the stated intention of "reeling in a new generation of drinkers unfamiliar with the brand".[6] The marketing describes it as a "sparkling flavored soda", competing with other sparkling beverage products like La Croix and Izze.[7]
U.S. flavors
As of 2010, the following flavors of Fresca were marketed in the U.S.:[3]
- Original Citrus (lime & grapefruit blend)
- Black Cherry
- Peach Citrus
- Blackberry Citrus
- Strawberry Citrus
Ingredients
North America (United States, Canada):
- Carbonated water
- Citric acid
- Concentrated grapefruit juice
- Potassium citrate
- Potassium benzoate and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (preservatives)
- Aspartame
- Acesulfame potassium
- Acacia
- Natural flavors
- Glycerol ester of wood rosin
- Carob bean gum
North America (Mexico):
- Carbonated water
- Sugars (may contain cane sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup)
- Stevia (2.4 mg/100 g)
- Concentrated pink grapefruit juice
- Fresca-brand concentrate (includes artificial flavors and other trade secret additives)
- Potassium benzoate (preservative)[8]
References
- "Fresca Product Description". coca-cola.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- "Fresca - Brands & Products | The Coca-Cola Company". www.coca-colacompany.com.
- "Coca-Cola - Grands - Brand Fact Sheets". Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- Claassens, Carina (2018-01-18). "12 Truths About Growing Up in South Africa". culture trip. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- "Coca-Cola North America Announces Fresca Makeover: Two New Line Extensions To Accompany New Look For Venerable Brand" (Press release). Coca-Cola North America. 25 May 2005. Archived from the original on 4 October 2007. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- "Fresca Gets a Fresh New Look". The Coca-Cola Company. 2018-04-16. Archived from the original on 2018-04-17. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
- Siegner, Cathy (2018-04-19). "Coca-Cola to freshen Fresca brand with new look and flavors". Food Dive. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
- "Fresca". Coca-Cola Journey: Industria Mexicana de Coca-Cola. Industria Mexicana de Coca-Cola. Retrieved 27 November 2019.