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Why this kosher-for-Passover Coke with the yellow cap is going viral

April 14, 2025 from Market Watch:

"The limited-time Coca-Cola product is made with cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Some people can’t get enough.

"The key ingredient difference between the kosher-for-Passover Coke and the rest-of-the-year one? The former is made with cane sugar, while the latter uses high-fructose corn syrup — corn is considered a verboten Passover item by some Jews. But the yellow-cap Coke, as it’s often simply known, is now finding a significant fan base among non-Jews, because they consider it the 'real' Coke.

"That is, the cane-sugar version hearkens back to how the soft drink was made decades ago, before high-fructose corn syrup became a popular substitute in many food and drink items as a cost-savings measure.

"The kosher-for-Passover Coca-Cola appears to be similar to Mexican-made Coca-Cola, which uses cane sugar and can be found in some U.S. stores and restaurants. But the south-of-the-border Coke typically costs more — it’s an imported product, after all — whereas the kosher-for-Passover one is priced similarly to the standard Coke, shoppers have found.

"Does all this add up to increased sales for Coca-Cola, notwithstanding the fact it generally costs more to produce products with cane sugar versus high-fructose corn syrup? The company didn’t respond to a MarketWatch request for sales information. Nor did it comment on any taste differences, perceived or real, between the two versions.

"But a Coca-Cola spokesperson noted that the company has been offering kosher-for-Passover products since the mid-1930s. Even though high-fructose corn syrup wasn’t an issue decades ago, there can be other factors that make a product kosher-for-Passover, according to experts familiar with the Jewish dietary laws."