Coca-Cola under fire as new book exposes decades of misleading conduct: 'A major danger'

In 2024, anthropologist Susan Greenhalgh published Soda Science: Making the World Safe for Coca-Cola. In the book, Greenhalgh elaborates on the claim that major food and beverage companies promoted scientific research to protect corporate interests. 

What's happening? 

Central to Greenhalgh's concept of "soda science" is what she describes as an "exercise-first" strategy. 

The author says that Coca-Cola-funded research projects promoted the idea that exercise is the main driver of well-being, suggesting that diet is of lesser importance. 

"The exercise-first response argued that it does not matter how much you eat and drink; as long as you exercise off the calories, you would not gain weight," Greenhalgh told Down to Earth.

Pushing exercise over consumption choices, she contends, took the heat off products like soda for high rates of obesity and may have even encouraged people to buy and drink more.

"A major danger is that the corporate nature of the science will not be discovered," Greenhalgh said, "and that policymakers will build industry-friendly science into policies that work for the benefit not of the public but of the corporations."

Why is this concerning?

Transparency in science, as in other fields, can set the stage for accountability, while objectivity can lay the groundwork for fully informed decision-making. When external goals or bias shape data analysis and health recommendations, the public may be at risk.

In the case of soda companies, that risk may be multifold. In addition to the potential for consuming a higher number of sugary beverages, increased consumption rates could drive more production of plastic-packaged goods, with plastics made from dirty fossil fuels and themselves a source of pollution. While the health impacts of microplastic contamination are not yet fully understood, the tiny particles have been linked with potentially serious conditions.

Besides the role Greenhalgh argues the company may have played in misleading consumers about the role of diet in overall wellness, Coca-Cola might also be seen to be misleading the public in making statements in support of sustainability while regularly ranking among the worst plastic polluters. 

It's important to note that the company has implemented measures to mitigate plastic pollution and other environmental impacts. Certain plants no longer utilize the plastic rings to connect six-packs, for example, and the company has backed plastic cleanups around the world.

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But the brand is still among those producing a tremendous amount of plastic. A March 2025 report from Oceana projected that the company's annual plastic use will surpass 9.1 billion pounds by 2030 if it does not change its practices.

What's being done?

"Soda science," as Greenhalgh calls it, is having an impact on middle-income countries in particular, the author told Down to Earth. Universities and organizations around the world are echoing Greenhalgh's message. 

Research at UCLA Health in 2022 found that sugary beverages like soda may be linked to many health concerns, including obesity, blood sugar issues, and Type 2 diabetes. A 2025 report from NPR highlighted a study published in the journal Nature Medicine that examined the negative health impacts of soda and energy drinks globally.

The practice of a brand touting healthful, sustainable values to attract customers while engaging in environmentally unfriendly practices is known as greenwashing. It can be difficult to spot greenwashing, so it's important for consumers to look into the companies they plan to support with their buying power. What they choose to purchase — and not purchase — can be seen as something of a vote on the practices they wish to see from brands going forward.

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