leaves | Broken Secrets

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Coca-Cola Supplier Imports 100 Tons of Coca Leaves Per Year

It is no secret that Coke’s 1886 “brain tonic” recipe called for cocaine. However, it’s not widely known that Coke still uses the coca leaf in their secret recipe. There is only one company legally permitted to import coca leaves into the United States, the Stepan Company of Illinois.

Coca Leaves

Stepan uses the coca leaf to produce pure cocaine for medical use and a non-narcotic ingredient that Coca-Cola uses to flavor Coke. Most of the coca leaves are imported from Peru, and The Washington Times has reported that 100 tons are imported per year.