Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2026
Coca-Cola among food and beverage companies named in 239 legal challenges to public health labeling policies (2010–2025)
Lawsuit filed
An investigation by Lighthouse Reports found that food and beverage companies, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Mars, filed 239 legal challenges from 2010 through 2025 to block or delay public health policies, particularly labeling requirements for ultraprocessed foods and sugary drinks. The cases were cataloged in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Britain, and India. According to the investigation, a third of the lawsuits came from just nine parent companies.
Source excerpt
Food giants like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Mars have filed 239 legal challenges from 2010 through 2025 to defeat health policies aimed at informing consumers about the products they consume.
A large share of the litigation targeted labeling requirements for food products, especially rules requiring ingredients and nutrition information on packaging.
The analysis cataloged cases in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Britain, and India.
2022
Coca-Cola sets 2030 reusable packaging target
Company response
In February 2022, amid criticism over plastic pollution, The Coca-Cola Company announced a packaging target: it said it aims to make 25 percent of its packaging globally reusable by 2030. The company framed the goal as a response to concerns about plastic pollution, which had drawn criticism toward the brand. The announcement set a specific share of global packaging to be reusable within the stated timeframe. No further details on implementation, regional breakdowns, or independent verification were included in the available account of the event.
Source excerpt
The Coca-Cola Company is aiming to make 25 percent of its packaging globally to be reusable by 2030 after environmental groups have called it out for worldwide plastic pollution.
Consumer, investor, and environmental groups have targeted Coca-Cola for its petroleum-based plastic single-use bottles that have been clogging oceans and creating many other problems.
2022
Kano court denies Coca-Cola's injunction request against Pop Cola
Ruling
The Federal High Court in Kano refused Coca-Cola's request for an interlocutory injunction that would have stopped Pop Cola from continuing its business while the trademark suit proceeds. The court ordered an accelerated hearing; the underlying suit concerns alleged similarities in Pop Cola advertising materials.
Source excerpt
It would be recalled that Coca-Cola has dragged Mamuda Beverages Nigeria limited, manufacturer of Pop Cola to court over a trademark war.
The Federal High Court sitting in Kano has refused to grant an interlocutory injunction sought by the Coca-Cola company seeking to stop Pop Cola from continuing its business pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
2021
Coca-Cola's outside-counsel policy challenged over alleged racial discrimination
Issue disclosure
In 2021, an anti-discrimination group challenged Coca-Cola's outside-counsel policy. Its attorney argued that the requirement for law firms to meet diversity targets violates federal law. The source reports an allegation rather than a legal determination; no ruling or outcome is stated. The dispute concerns the company's policy for law firms serving as outside counsel and the diversity targets those firms were required to meet. The challenge was framed as a claim that the requirement conflicts with federal law.
Source excerpt
An anti-discrimination group is challenging Coca-Cola’s attempt to impose racial quotas on outside counsel.
Writing on behalf of the Project on Fair Representation, D.C. attorney Boyden Gray accused Coca-Cola of violating the Civil Rights Act with a new rule, which would punish contracted law firms unless a certain percentage of their billed associates are "diverse attorneys."
2021
Coca-Cola faces criticism over Share a Coke customization restrictions
Public backlash
In 2021, Coca-Cola faced criticism after customers reported that its customization tool for the "Share a Coke" promotion blocked terms including "Palestine" and "Black Lives Matter" while allowing some offensive phrases. According to the article, users shared their findings on Twitter. The reports focused on the restrictions applied by the customization tool and the discrepancy between blocked and permitted terms. The criticism centered on the tool's filtering choices rather than on any statement issued by the company.
Stated objective. Ensure the tool is used only for its intended purpose: for Coca-Cola fans to celebrate with one another and make connections.
Company response
Remediation — Coca-Cola
In response to the backlash, Coca-Cola said it was “refining and improving” the feature.
Source excerpt
Beverage giant Coca-Cola is being criticised for a new tool that fails to let customers personalise their own bottles of coke with ‘Palestine’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’ while allowing offensive phrases like ‘White pride’, ‘fascism,’ and ‘Nazis rule’.
“We’re continuously refining and improving our Share A Coke personalisation tool to ensure it is used only for its intended purpose – for Coca-Cola fans to celebrate with one another and make connections,” the company said in a statement to
In response to the backlash, Coca-Cola said it was “refining and improving” the feature.
2021
Minute Maid, Coke and Sprite products recalled over possible metal objects
Recall announced
Minute Maid is recalling Berry Punch, Fruit Punch and Strawberry Lemonade because some 59-ounce cartons could contain foreign metal objects. The report also says some Coke and Sprite cans are recalled for the same reason. The recall affects eight U.S. states listed in the report.
Company response
Recall — Minute Maid
Source excerpt
“have been contaminated by metal fragments including bolts and washers."
some Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, or Sprite products have been recalled
We learned that many of these products were distributed in the state of New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania.
2021
US lawmakers condemn Beijing Olympics sponsors
Public backlash
A bipartisan US congressional group condemned US companies sponsoring the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, saying they refused to condemn the Chinese government's treatment of Uyghurs. The companies' representatives testified at a hearing; Coca-Cola's representative said the company respected all human rights.
Source excerpt
马林诺夫斯基反复询问可口可乐是否会特别谴责中共政府对维吾尔人的任何虐待时，可口可乐全球人权事务副总裁拉利说，“我们尊重所有人权。”
出席听证会的公司包括爱彼迎（Airbnb）、可口可乐、英特尔、宝洁、Visa公司。
周二（7月27日），美国国会一个两党小组谴责了2022年北京冬奥会的几家美国企业赞助商，其中包括可口可乐、Visa公司和爱彼迎（Airbnb）。议员们称，这些公司为保住在中国的利润而拒绝谴责中共的种族灭绝行为。
2020
US Soccer sponsors condemn equal-pay court filing
Public backlash
In a 2020 controversy involving US Soccer, Coca-Cola, Visa and other sponsors criticized the organization after its lawyers argued in a court filing that women players should be paid less than men. Some sponsors said they sought meetings with US Soccer. The dispute centered on the federation's legal position in an equal-pay case brought by women players. Sponsors publicly condemned the filing, and the episode drew attention to the relationship between the governing body and its commercial partners.
Coca-Cola, Visa and other US Soccer sponsors criticized the organization after its lawyers argued in a court filing that women players should be paid less than men, and some sponsors said they sought meetings with US Soccer.
Source excerpt
A Coca-Cola spokesperson told BuzzFeed News they are demanding to meet with US Soccer officials to express their concerns about the “unacceptable and offensive comments.”
Major sponsors of US Soccer including Coke, Budweiser and Visa are condemning the organization and demanding meetings after the group's lawyers argued women players on the national team should not be paid the same as men because they are not as skilled and work less-demanding jobs.
2020
NHRA sues Coca-Cola over sponsorship agreement
Lawsuit filed
In 2020, NHRA filed a lawsuit against The Coca-Cola Company over a sponsorship agreement. According to the filing, Coca-Cola missed a $2.86 million payment and improperly sought to end the agreement, which NHRA says was contracted through 2023. The dispute concerns the alleged non-payment and the company's attempt to terminate the sponsorship arrangement before the end of its stated term.
Stated objective. NHRA said the lawsuit seeks to hold Coca-Cola to its contractual promises.
Source excerpt
It's a sponsorship deal that the NHRA says was supposed to run through 2023.
In the lawsuit, NHRA claims that Coca-Cola missed a $2.86 million payment on May 15.
Today, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, we filed a lawsuit against The Coca-Cola Company.
2020
Earth Island Institute sues companies over plastic packaging pollution in California
Lawsuit filed
Earth Island Institute filed a lawsuit in a California court against Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle USA, Procter & Gamble and other companies, seeking unspecified damages and an order requiring them to clean up plastic waste. The group alleges that plastic packaging from the companies is fouling California waters and says their products contributed to a global pollution crisis; these are allegations in the lawsuit, not a court determination.
Stated objective. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and an order for the companies to clean up plastic waste.
Source excerpt
The Earth Island Institute asked for unspecified damages and an order for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestle USA, Procter & Gamble and six other companies to clean up plastic waste that the group says has created a global pollution crisis.
Escalating a campaign to make corporations responsible for the waste they produce, an environmental group filed suit Wednesday against some of the world’s biggest food, beverage and consumer goods companies in a California court, arguing they should be held responsible for plastic packaging that is fouling the state's oceans, rivers and streams.
The suit names those companies, along with Nestle USA, Crystal Geyser Water, Clorox, Mars and Danone North America.
2019
Hungary fines Coca-Cola over same-sex-couple advertising
Fine or penalty
In 2019, Hungarian media reported that Coca-Cola Hungary was fined 500,000 Hungarian forint over adverts featuring same-sex couples, following alleged violations of advertising laws. Officials also ordered the company to cease advertising they said was detrimental to the development of children and minors. The reports described the penalty and the order as responses to the advertisements, which depicted same-sex couples. The event concerned the company's advertising in Hungary and the authorities' stated grounds of advertising-law violations and the claimed effect on minors.
Source excerpt
Hungarian media reports that the company has now been issued a fine over the adverts, because of alleged violations of the country’s advertising laws.
that the company has been fined 500,000 Hungarian Forint, which is equivalent to £1,300.24.hu reports
In August, Coca-Cola Hungary had said: “We believe that we are all equal, regardless of nationality, religion, gender, age, ethnic origin, language, hobbies, or viewpoints. We believe that both heterosexuals and homosexuals have the right to love the people they love.
2009
Proposed Huiyuan acquisition blocked
The Coca-Cola Company’s proposed acquisition of Chinese juice company Huiyuan was prohibited by China’s Ministry of Commerce under the country’s antimonopoly framework. The decision was a regulatory dispute rather than a finding of misconduct by the Coca-Cola consumer brand.
1985
New Coke consumer backlash
The reformulation was not a criminal or regulatory scandal, but it became a major reputational crisis when consumers protested the disappearance of the original taste. The company reversed course within months. The company replaced the established Coca-Cola formula with a reformulated product. Strong consumer opposition led to the return of the original formula under the Coca-Cola Classic name.