Coke’s ‘alcoholic water’ falls f lat over health fears
Drink ‘masquerading’ as healthy option, say critics
HEALTH experts have accused Coca-Cola of ‘reinventing alcopops’ with a brand of fruit-flavoured sparkling water laced with alcohol.
Following a slump in sales of its most popular drinks, the firm will this month launch Topo Chico Hard seltzer in Ireland and Britain. The ‘alcoholic water’ contains 4.7% alcohol by volume (ABV) – slightly higher than an average beer.
Coca-Cola says its policy is to ‘champion’ responsible drinking.
Dr Tony Rao, an expert on alcohol addiction and a visiting researcher at King’s College London, said: ‘This is a disingenuous attempt to reinvent alcopops of the 1990s.’
Referring to the Topo Chico mineral water owned by Coca-Cola and sold in the US, he added: ‘It has the name of a sparkling mineral water brand, but has stronger alcohol content than many cans of beer. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing for alcohol-harm reduction.’
A Coca-Cola Ireland spokesman said: ‘The launch of Topo Chico Hard Seltzer marks Coca-Cola’s first alcohol brand in Ireland. We’re excited about the launch, which comes with new and clear responsibilities. We have a longstanding responsible marketing policy and we are committed to… upholding the highest standards.
‘Our marketing does not appeal to people under the legal purchase age and we champion responsible consumption.’
The world’s largest soft drinks company has seen its global net operating revenues fall by more than €8 bn since 2012, with sales of its most sugary drinks hit by health warnings.
In response, Coca-Cola – which bought several wine operations in the late 1970s, including two vineyards in California – wants to cash in on the boom in mineral water drinks mixed with fruit flavourings and alcohol, known as ‘hard seltzers’, which is already worth $3.5bn a year in the US.
Topo Chico has far less sugar than popular alcopop drinks such as Hooch and Two Dogs.
Eunan McKinney of Alchohol Action Ireland said: ‘It’s part of an endeavour to essentially broaden the alcohol market i nt o a different target audience and, in essence, it’s part of a wider global trend.
‘We see it in seltzers [the US term for carbonated water] as well whereby the alcohol industry has expanded into what are perceived as sort of health-led products, like seltzers, which are now being laced with alcohol.’
Professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, a coalition of organisations working to reduce the harm caused by alcohol, said that hard seltzers ‘masquerade’ as healthy products.
Professor Gilmore added: ‘We cannot leave people’s health in the hands of alcohol producers, who will always put profits first while claiming to champion responsible drinking.’