When a brand’s product is distributed worldwide, it’s inevitable that it will exhibit variations in appearance and taste due to diverse cultural preferences. A recent viral post highlighted this phenomenon, showcasing the stark contrast between Fanta, a popular orange soda, as it appears in different parts of the world.
On September 12, Reddit user u/Opposite_Strategy_43 shared an image in the subreddit r/MildlyInteresting, sparking a lively discussion. The post quickly went viral, revealing the striking differences in the appearance of Fanta in different areas. The Reddit user captioned the image with, “Fanta in Italy has no dyes or artificial flavours,” leaving many Americans accustomed to a vividly fluorescent orange soda astonished by Italy’s more natural-looking Fanta.
Fanta in Italy has no dyes or artificial flavors.
byu/Opposite_Strategy_43 inmildlyinteresting
Upon inspecting the image, the Italian soda appears to harken back to a bygone era with its subdued, diluted-orange-juice appearance, reminiscent of beverages like Orangina.
Reddit users from around the world joined the conversation, noting the varying appearances of Fanta in their respective countries. One person stated, “It varies by country. In the UK, it’s very yellow. In many countries, it’s orange.”
Another Redditor based in England commented, “I remember Fanta in Spain being delicious last time I was there, so much so that I’ve hated it here ever since.”
“I’m European, and it really is yellow, and from what I’ve seen, it has a colour similar to fresh orange juice,” added another user.
Yet another Redditor humorously remarked, “The first time I saw a Fanta in the US, I freaked out. I already didn’t like soda in Italy, let alone now that it’s fluorescent lol.”
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the stark contrast between American and European Fanta has gained attention on Reddit. Back in March 2022, Reddit user u/RRR-Craigyroo posted a similar comparison in the r/mildlyinteresting subreddit, comparing “USA Fanta” to “UK Fanta.” In this post, the UK version appeared even more distinct to South African eyes, resembling a bottle of orange juice. In SA our Fanta looks much more like the bright orange of America.
However, an examination of the ingredients in Fanta Orange, sold in England, reveals a crucial difference from the American version: orange juice. While carbonated water and sugar are prominent ingredients in both, the UK drink contains orange juice from concentrate (3.7%), citrus fruit from concentrate (1.3%), citric acid, carrot and pumpkin vegetable extracts, sweeteners, preservatives, natural orange flavourings, and other natural flavourings, in addition to other components.
In contrast, the Italian variety is composed of water, orange juice from concentrate (12%), sugar, carbon dioxide, citric acid (as an acidifier), natural citrus flavourings, acacia gum, and ascorbic acid.
These international variants of the drink significantly differ from the American version. The American one comprises carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, and less than 2% of citric acid, natural flavours, sodium benzoate, modified food starch, glycerol ester of rosin, yellow 6, and red 40 — conspicuously lacking any trace of orange juice.
The disparities in ingredients between American and European Fanta are primarily attributed to European regulations restricting certain chemicals in food and beverages and regional taste preferences. After all, Europeans often contend that American foods and beverages are overly sweet, and the nutritional content supports this claim, with American Fanta containing 73 grams of sugar in a 20-litre bottle, compared to 59 grams in Italian Fanta and a mere 22.5 grams in UK Fanta.
