10 Secrets Only Two People In The World Know

It's hardly surprising that one of the most profitable brands on the planet wants to safeguard the secrets behind its most successful products, and Coca-Cola does that by keeping its full list of ingredients on the down low.

Many people are aware that the bestselling fizzy drink is made from carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine and brown dye, but its exact formula is said to be known to just two high-ranking company executives.

There was once an urban legend doing the rounds which claimed that the two executives know only one half of the ingredients each, but this was made up by the company itself as part of a marketing campaign.

Coca-Cola is so keen to keep its formula under wraps that it withdrew from India in the 1970s when the government tried to coerce the firm into revealing its ingredients. It returned to the country in 1993 after striking up a deal with the powers that be.

Interestingly, the soft drinks giant is the only US company with a license to import large quantities of the coca plant - which cocaine is derived from - for use as a flavouring agent. So, even if the formula fell into the hands of a rival, they wouldn't have the means to mix up a large quantity of it - without breaking the law, at least.