The history of Fanta

Fanta is the second drink ever made by the Coca-Cola Company. Fanta was developed in Germany in 1940 and was made by the German bottling company Coca-Cola during World War II.

Because there was no shipping between Germany and the United States, due to the war, the German bottling plant could no longer produce Coca-Cola syrup. To keep the factory going, Max Keith, the factory manager, had to take action. He made a drink from fruit with ingredients at his disposal. This drink consisted of a cheese by-product called whey and excess apple fibre from lollipops. The first German Fanta was yellow and tasted completely different from the Fanta we all know today. Fanta’s flavours changed regularly during the war, as the drink was made based on the ingredients they had at their disposal.

In a staff competition, the name Fanta was coined. The manager, Keith said they should let their imaginations run their course. Salesman Joe Knipp came up with the name Fanta when he heard the word coming out of Keith’s mouth.

When the German and Dutch Coca-Cola plants merged with their parent company, Fanta production stopped. Fanta was re-launched in 1955, after direct competitor Pepsi released several drinks on the market. The soft drink was widely sold in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Fun Fact: There are more than 100 flavours worldwide, and most are only available in some countries or by region.