Every spring, Coca-Cola bottles look a little different, sporting a bright yellow cap rather than the usual red. While social media has compared the seasonal product to Mexican Coke, which uses cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, the origin of the cap change traces back to a rabbi in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rabbi Tobias Geffen, who led Atlanta’s Orthodox Jewish community and served as the rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel, is credited with making the iconic beverage kosher and, eventually, giving it approval for consumption during Passover, according to The Atlanta Jewish Times.
Jews who keep kosher are forbidden from eating certain items, including pork and shellfish. They are also barred from eating beef that is not certified kosher. During Passover, these guidelines become more stringent, as many Jews refrain from consuming grain products, taking corn syrup off the table.
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In 1935, the Coca-Cola Company allowed Geffen to see the ingredients of the beverage, while preserving its secret by not revealing the proportions. He found that the beverage contained two items of concern: glycerin derived from non-kosher beef tallow and corn syrup.
While Coke failed Geffen’s initial inquiry, the company’s scientists found that glycerin derived from cottonseed and coconut oil could be used without altering the soda’s taste, solving one problem. After the ingredient change, Geffen gave it his seal of approval for consumption, but Coke was still forbidden during Passover. However, the company’s scientists were able to replace the grain-derived ingredients with cane and beet sugars, allowing Jews to enjoy the beverage during Passover and all yearlong.
Cases of Coca-Cola soda are displayed at a Costco Wholesale store on April 27, 2025, in San Diego, Calif. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
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