Is Diet Coke really banned in Europe?

The footage of American social media influencer Jill Zarin arriving on a holiday with a giant suitcase of Diet Coke because "they don't sell it in Europe" has been causing much hilarity online. 

@allyshaps Any other diet coke girlies travel with an entire suitcase of diet coke? Luckily it made it safely! #dietcoke #flying #airport ♬ original sound - Ally Shapiro

And naturally there were plenty of people ready with a joke

I have to come clean. *I* am the guy who keeps telling Americans that we don't have stuff in Europe.

I'll have a few glasses of wine, get on Reddit and post something like "In France, they don't have texting. People tie their messages to bricks and throw them at each other." https://t.co/TTAX882M8A

— Richy Craven (@RichyCraven) August 21, 2023

But is it true that Diet Coke tastes different in Europe than it does in the US? Are there really some Diet Coke ingredients outlawed by the EU? And what's the difference between Diet Coke and Coke Light?

Different types of Coke

Once we discount atrocities like Cherry Coke there are basically three types of Coca-Cola - the full-sugar Coca-Cola,  Coke Zero and Diet Coke.

However, in non-English speaking countries Diet Coke is usually sold branded as Coca-Cola Light - as the parent company explains: "In certain countries, the term 'diet' is not used to describe low-calorie foods and beverages. In these countries, we offer Coke/Coca-Cola light."

The idea being that 'light' is a more internationally recognised word so that Coke doesn't have to offer dozens of different translations for 'diet' in different European countries. 

The two products are interchangeable, although sweetener levels vary in different countries (more on that later).

READ ALSO Did Spain make Coca-Cola before the USA?

Coke Zero is also sometimes branded in the local language, for example France sells it as 'Coca-Cola Sans Sucres' (no-sugar Coca-Cola) but the Coke Zero branding is always on the bottle.

Likewise the full-sugar product is sold everywhere as Coca-Cola (although again some countries add their own branding - in France it's Coca-Cola Goût original - original flavour Coca-Cola).

Coke Zero - launched in 2007 and intended to taste the same as the original but without the sugar - is gradually muscling Diet Coke/Coke Light out of the market and in many countries Diet/Light Coke is not widely available or only available as an import.

The standard choice in McDonald's, for example, is Coke or Coke Zero. 

Diet/Light Coke is not, however, banned in any European countries (despite many US-based blogs confidently asserting that this is the case). 

But does it taste different in the USA?

But while the same branding might be available through the world, the actual ingredients are different in some countries, which could lead some Coke connoisseurs to notice a difference in taste between the products in the US and those in the EU. 

The biggest difference is between the regular Coke - in the US this uses high fructose corn syrup while in Europe cane sugar is used to sweeten the product, resulting in a significant difference in taste. 

Some European countries have or are working towards restrictions on sugar - for example increasing taxes on sugary food or requiring sugary food or drink to carry a health warning - but there is no limit on the amount of sugar that a food or drink can contain. 

When you're looking at sugar-free products, the biggest difference is likely to be if you are expecting Diet Coke and get Coke Zero, as these have very different flavours. According to the parent company, the two use the the same sweeteners - a blend of aspartame and acesulfame-potassium - but Coke Zero "uses a different flavour base and delivers the great taste of Coca-Cola with zero sugar."

Despite several studies linking it to an increased risk of cancer, the use of aspartame is not restricted in the EU, although any product that includes it must indicate this on the label.

If you compare the ingredients list between American Diet Coke and Coke Light sold in Europe, the only difference is the addition of sodium benzoate in the American product. Although this preservative is not banned in Europe, the European Commission does impose a limit on how much can be used in food and drink. 

The actual recipe for all types of Coke is of course a closely guarded secret, but Coke does say that "sweetness levels are altered according to local preferences".

Coke is also manufactured in different factories around the globe and it's been suggested that differences in the water used to make the local product may also affect the flavour - although frankly if you can detect the difference in water through the layers of artificial sweeteners and flavourings then you're clearly a genius and should begin training as a sommelier.

Now, do you want ice in your Coke? Because that's a whole other USA v Europe story . . .