Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as a Coca-Cola alternative in 1940 due to the American trade embargo of Nazi Germany, which affected the availability of Coca-Cola ingredients. It soon dominated the German market with three million cases sold in 1943. The current formulation of Fanta, with orange flavour, was developed in Italy in 1955.
During the Second World War, the US established a trade embargo against Nazi Germany, making the export of Coca-Cola syrup difficult. To circumvent this, Max Keith, the head of Coca-Cola Deutschland (Coca-Cola GmbH), decided to create a new product for the German market, using only ingredients available in Germany at the time, including sugar beet, whey (a cheese byproduct), and apple pomace—the “leftovers of leftovers”, as Keith later recalled. The name was the result of a brainstorming session, which started with Keith’s exhorting his team to “use their imagination” (Fantasie in German), to which one of his salesmen, Joe Knipp, retorted “Fanta!”.
The German plant was cut off from Coca-Cola headquarters following America’s entry into the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. After the war, the Coca-Cola Company regained control of the plant, formula, and the trademarks to the new Fanta product—as well as the plant profits made during the war.
In 1943 alone, 3 million cases of Fanta were sold in Germany. Many bottles were not consumed as a beverage but used as a cooking ingredient to add sweetness and flavor to soups and stews, as sugar was severely rationed.
During the war, the Dutch Coca-Cola plant in Amsterdam (N.V. Nederlandse Coca-Cola Maatschappij) suffered the same difficulties as the German Coca-Cola plant. Keith put the Fanta brand at the disposal of the Dutch Coca-Cola plant, of which he had been appointed the official caretaker. Dutch Fanta had a different recipe from German Fanta, elderberries being one of the main ingredients.
Fanta production was discontinued when the German and Dutch Coca-Cola branches were reunited with their parent company after 1945.
Following the launch of several drinks by Pepsi-Cola in the 1950s, Coca-Cola relaunched It in 1955 with a different formulation. The drink was heavily marketed in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America, although it did not become widely available in the United States until the 1960s because the company feared it would undermine the strong market position of their flagship cola. Even then, its availability was spotty at best especially after the 1980s due to sister brand Minute Maid selling similar products under its own name. It wasn’t until 2001 that Fanta finally received a national push due to the U.S.’s growing Hispanic population and the drink’s proven popularity in Latin America.
The modern-day orange Fanta was first produced in Naples, Italy in 1955 by a local bottling plant using locally sourced oranges.
CANS
Famed for their crisp and fruity flavours, It range is bursting with delicious drinks that’re loved by all ages. Providing refreshment to every tongue, cans of Fanta are a fantastic addition to the shelves and drinks fridges of any store. Classics like Orange and Lemon cans are a staple of any drinks offering and the 330ml cans will be popular on food-to-go missions as well as with shoppers who are simply seeking refreshment. The Fanta Fruit Twist Cans are another classic flavour, whilst the Fanta Grape Soda Cans 355ml and Berry Soda Cans 355ml are newer additions that will tickle the fancy of more adventurous customers.
BOTTLES
For thirsty shoppers on the go, bottled Fanta is a wonderful options that will excite shoppers. Adding these to your food-to-go section and drinks fridges will offer busy customers an exciting option. With Fanta 500ml bottles of the most popular flavours, such as Fanta Lemon, Orange and Fruit Twist, there are options to put a smile on shoppers’ face. With resealable caps, customers will be able to enjoy their Fanta drink for longer!
WHOLESALE
Here at Matas Operations A/S, you’ll find classic flavoured cans of Fanta in bulk cases of 24 cans. This makes it east to stock up on Fanta Lemon, Orange and Fruit Twist and offer shoppers cans of these timeless flavours. Alternatively, you’ll find the Grape and Berry Soda Cans, plus all of the bottles in cases of 12. This means that you can get up to 50% POR on cans and 41% on bottles!
