Fanta emerged directly during the World War II years, in 1940 in Nazi Germany. Behind this situation lie entirely the logistical and commercial necessities brought about by the war. The development of the event and the details behind it are as follows:
The Story of Fanta’s Emergence
Commercial Embargo and Raw Material Shortage: When World War II began and Germany led the Axis powers, the Allied powers began to impose a heavy commercial embargo on Germany. Due to this embargo, Max Keith, the head of Coca-Cola’s factories in Germany, was unable to import the secret Coca-Cola extract (syrup) from America.
Invention Born Out of Scarcity: Max Keith decided to produce a new beverage entirely with local materials to keep the factories running and maintain the company’s presence in the German market. However, finding materials was very difficult in wartime Germany.
Beverage from Waste Materials: The first Fanta produced was very different from the Fanta we know today. Keith and his team combined whey (dairy residue) and apple pomace (residues remaining from apple cider pressing), which were waste products from other food industries, to produce a yellowish drink sweetened with beet sugar. So the first Fanta was not orange-flavored, but an apple/whey-based mixture.
Where Does the Name Come From? While Max Keith asked his team to find a name for the new beverage, he told them to use their imagination and pointed to the German word “Fantasie” (Imagination). Thereupon, sales manager Joe Knipp suggested shortening the word to “Fanta“, and this name was accepted.
Post-War Period
After the war ended, The Coca-Cola Company regained control of its factories in Germany. The original Fanta recipe produced during the war was eventually discontinued.
The orange-flavored Fanta we buy in markets today, however, was developed in 1955 by Coca-Cola’s Italian (Naples) branch, with the aim of utilizing the region’s rich citrus resources, and quickly became a global brand.
It is a global beverage American in origin and ownership, but formulated in Italy.
Idea and Brand Rights: American
The Fanta brand and the idea of its initial emergence in Germany are registered trademarks of the American company, The Coca-Cola Company. After the war ended, Coca-Cola took over all rights and profits from the Fanta operation in Germany. So the brand was never owned by an Italian company.
The Recipe We Drink Today: The Italian Touch
The recipe and concept of the modern Fanta you buy from the market today, which is orange in color and tastes of orange, originated in Italy.
In the early 1950s, Coca-Cola wanted to revitalize the Fanta brand with a completely different and higher-quality product.
In 1955, producers at Coca-Cola’s Italian (Naples) factory developed today’s orange-flavored formula using Italy’s local citrus fruits.
This new Italian formula was so successful that Coca-Cola completely discarded the old apple/whey-based German recipe and made this Italian-style orange beverage the global standard.
In summary: Fanta is a brand born out of necessity in Germany during World War II; however, the orange-flavored version that you, I, and the rest of the world drink today is an American product created in Italy in 1955.
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