Fanta originated in Germany as aCoca-Cola alternative in 1940 due to the Americantrade embargo ofNazi Germany which affected the availability of Coca-Cola ingredients. Fanta soon dominated the German market with three million cases sold in 1943. The current formulation of Fanta, with orange flavor, was developed in Italy in 1955.
Fanta Klassik ("classic") was sold in Germany in 2015, marking the 75th anniversary of the drink.A can of zero sugar Fanta
During theSecond World War, Germany was under aUnited Statestrade embargo and a British naval blockade; the import ofCoca-Cola syrup was thus prohibited.[2][3]To circumvent this,Max Keith, the head of Coca-Cola Deutschland (Coca-Cola GmbH), decided to create a new product for the German market, using only ingredients available in Germany at the time, includingsugar beet,whey (a cheese byproduct), and applepomace.
He later described them as the "leftovers of leftovers".[2][4] The name was the result of a brainstorming session, which started with Keith's exhorting his team to "use their imagination" (Fantasie in German), to which one of his salesmen, Joe Knipp, retorted "Fanta!".[4]
The German plant had been cut off from Coca-Cola headquarters following America's entry into the war after theGerman declaration of war against the United States in 1941. After the war, the Coca-Cola Company regained control of the plant, formula, and the trademarks to the new Fanta product—as well as the plant profits made during the war.[2][4]
In 1943, 3 million cases of Fanta were sold in Germany. Many bottles were not consumed as a beverage but used as a cooking ingredient to add sweetness and flavor to soups and stews, as sugar was severely rationed.[2][4]
During the war, the Dutch Coca-Cola plant inAmsterdam (N.V. Nederlandse Coca-Cola Maatschappij) suffered the same difficulties as the German Coca-Cola plant. Keith put the Fanta brand at the disposal of the Dutch Coca-Cola plant, of which he had been appointed the official caretaker. Dutch Fanta had a different recipe from German Fanta, usingelderberries as a main ingredient.[5]
Fanta production was discontinued in 1949. In 1955, inNaples, Italy, production of a new formulation with oranges began.[6]
Following the launch of several drinks by Pepsi-Cola in the 1950s, Società Napoletana Imbottigliamento Bevande Gassate (SNIBEG) relaunched Fanta in 1955 with a different formulation. In 1960 Coca-Cola bought the brand, distributing it worldwide. The drink was heavily marketed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, although it did not become widely available in the United States until the 1960s because the company feared it would undermine the strong market position of their flagship cola.[7]
Even then, its availability was limited especially after the 1980s due to sister brandMinute Maid selling similar products under its own name. In 2001, Fanta received a national push due to the U.S.'s growingHispanic population and the drink's proven popularity inLatin America.[8]
The modern-day orange Fanta was first produced in Naples,Italy in 1955 by a local bottling plant using locally sourcedoranges.[9][10][11] The design of the classic annulated bottle comes from these years.[citation needed]
In Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, and some other European countries, there isFanta Shokata (a wordplay on"soc" which means both "elderberry" and "shock" in Romanian) based on anelderflower blossom extract drink.[citation needed] In Russia, however, "Shokata" is the rebranding ofFanta Citrus, which is more like a common lemonade. This version of the drink is clear, like ordinary lemonade, while the bottle is blue.[14]
In early February 2023, The Coca Cola Company announced thatLilt (a pineapple and grapefruit soft drink sold in countries such as theUK andIreland) would be rebranded as Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit flavor on 14 February 2023.[15]
In Mexico, Fanta is made with sugar whereas the US version useshigh fructose corn syrup. In the UK, the sugar content was reduced in 2017 to 4.6g per 100ml in the standard version (non-sugar free) to ensure that the product was below the 5g that would incur the country'ssugary drink tax. This was a third lower than the recipe used before 2016, as some of the sugar was replaced by sweeteners.[16]
In Brazil, regional flavors such as guarana, passion fruit and cashew began to be sold between 2010 and 2020.[17]
In South Africa, Coca-Cola South Africa sells Fanta Orange, Fanta Orange No Sugar, Fanta Grape, and Fanta Pineapple.[18] Fanta Exotic and Fanta Lemon are also available at certain retailers.[19]
Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) introduced Fanta in the early 1990’s. During its production in the Philippines, Fanta andRoyal coexisted together in the market. Fanta was available in Fanta Calamansi (introduced in 1994 and the only Fanta flavor exclusive to the Philippine market), Fanta Lemon, Fanta Mango, Fanta Green Apple, Fanta Fruit Punch and Fanta Root Beer (coincidentally coexisted with Royal Root Beer) and is the sole market that didn’t introduce Fanta Orange in favor of Royal Tru-Orange. Royal, however, later introduced and reintroduced other flavors such as Royal Tru-Dalandan and Royal Tru-Strawbery during the coexistence of both brands. Fanta was eventually phased out in the 2000s and was absorbed by Royal as CCBPI’s local brand for Fanta.
In February 2015, a 75th-anniversary version of Fanta was released in Germany. Packaged in glass bottles evoking the original design and with an authentic original wartime flavor including 30% whey and pomace, it is described on the packaging as "less sweet" and a German original.
An associated television ad referenced the history of the drink and said the Coca-Cola company wanted to bring back "the feeling of the Good Old Times" which was interpreted by many to mean Nazi rule. The ad was subsequently replaced.[21][3]
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