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Coca-Cola review: coke zero 20 oz bottle 93

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1:03 am EDT
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Bought bottle of Coke Zero tonight and opened took a drink and noticed the bottle top smelled like mold or mildew. Smelled the cap and the inside of cap also smelled the same.. poured soda out into a cup and didn't smell bad tasted a bit weird. It is one of the new bottles . I would place bets that I drink more Coke Zero than most people in America and can tell when it's off. I dumped the remainder of the bottle before thinking it could have helped if I saved it. My apologies. Have there been any other complaints? Thanks for listening. Code stamped on the bottle is AUG1219 LPC1949 if that helps
-Jim Botelho
[protected]@yahoo.com

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Mizzwoods
US
Jan 04, 2022 12:35 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I can't believe I found this board about the Diet Coke bottle smelling like BO! I randomly bought a bottle of Diet Coke at the corner market and when I got home I kept smelling BO. I was looking all over my place trying to find the source of the smell. Out of nowhere I thought I'd smell this bottle, idk why I even thought that, but OMG, it' smells around the top of the bottle and the inside of the cap.

OMG, Coca-Cola is poisoning us. I thought the aspartame was bad, but this BO/mold is horrible. Are there no standards now? I'm completely disgusted. The only good thing is that I am not alone, but that's not a good thing, I feel so bad for everyone on this thread that has experienced this.

What do we do now?

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Ryan Milliken
US
Jan 06, 2022 11:12 pm EST
Replying to comment of Mizzwoods

I just found it too. I thought I was losing my mind.

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Mizzwoods
US
Jan 07, 2022 12:00 am EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Imagine how common this actually is. All these people finding this board, and all of the other places it's posted about online, but only a fraction of the people that have had this experience even think to look it up online. I'm pretty sure I'll never drink a Diet Coke ever again. The thought of it makes me feel horrible.

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Tom Orlando
Enterprise, US
Jan 14, 2022 3:18 pm EST
Replying to comment of Mizzwoods

I’m here because I smelled it most recently on a bottle of A&W Root Beer, but I’ve been smelling it for a year on every kind of soda bottle you can name.

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T21964
Port st lucie, US
Feb 13, 2022 9:17 am EST

I came here when noticing it on A&W also. Very strange

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James Morey
US
May 17, 2022 4:52 pm EDT
Replying to comment of Mizzwoods

I came here after noticing the smell on a cap of a 20 oz. Bottle of sugar free ginger ale from Canada dry. It is a Coke product as well. I don't know what to do, I am nervous.

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Mm82680
Dalton, US
May 17, 2022 5:24 pm EDT

omg me too, I always get sugar free ginger ale 16 oz bottles n they smell horrible.

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Rob Volpi
US
Jun 26, 2022 1:32 am EDT
Replying to comment of Mizzwoods

I ordered a Diet Coke in a diner and they gave me a bottle because the Coke dispenser was broken. Anyway I kept getting a horrible whiff of B. O. and I thought for sure it was the guy sitting at the next table. I was about to change my seat when I realized the smell was emanating from the plastic botttle. The smell was so bad I couldn’t finish my drink. I figured it was an isolated incident until it happened to me again today with a bottle of Cherry Coke Zero that I bought in a QuickChek. I’m sticking with cans for now on!

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jameka morrow2
US
Jan 19, 2022 7:43 pm EST

I bought a 6 pack of my dew spark and each bottle had this same mildew smell.

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Jessica Th
US
Jan 21, 2022 4:08 pm EST

Just bought a 20 oz bottle of Coke Zero Sugar, and the top of the bottle/cap smells really bad, like body odor. So weird! Seems to taste okay, though. What's up with this, Coca-Cola?

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james soderquist
US
Feb 06, 2022 6:28 pm EST
Replying to comment of Jessica Th

yeah what is this? I've had a bunch that smell like BO wtf. The Coke 0 tastes fine but the cap smells horrible and I get a wiff every time I take a drink

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Ryan Travis
US
Feb 03, 2022 12:34 pm EST

I opened one of the 6-pack bottles of Coke Zero this morning, and I thought it tasted weird. It was a cold one. I decide not to drink it. I then immediately opened one that was still warm, and I had an overwhelming smell and taste of mildew. They came from the same pack. I did a Google Search and found this thread.

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Ryan Travis
US
Feb 03, 2022 12:52 pm EST

I called Coca-Cola after posting this. They told me that if the bottles are exposed to extreme temperatures, especially direct sunlight, they can develop mildew tastes. They said this sometimes happens during distribution prior to sale. They took my bottle number and said they would trace it from the bottling agency through the local distributor. They then sent me a coupon to get another six pack for free.

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SSDW95
US
May 07, 2022 10:12 pm EDT

Tonight I opened a glass bottled coke and the same thing except I rubbed the inside of the cap and was left with this...

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Claire Solomon
Harahan, US
May 14, 2022 5:42 pm EDT

I’ve been noticing this with Diet Coke bottles in New Orleans for the past couple years. I thought it was a New Orleans heat and humidity thing but I just got a Diet Coke in Palo Alto, CA and it had the same stinky mildewy cap smell. It’s terrible

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Mariececilia
Bayside, US
May 15, 2022 7:03 am EDT

Joanne K.Bayside, NY USA May 15th. 2022 I also drink Coke Zero to the extreme and thought I was the only one detecting the mildew odor. It seems to happen only as I bring the 20oz. bottle up to my mouth but it’s very noticeable and quite offensive. I just bought 10 bottles in a pharmacy I frequent all dated to expire June, July 2022.I save old bottles and caps so I think I’ll try pouring the new smelly ones into my old bottles. Just an aside, this hasn’t happened in quite some time but it has happened enough that it is annoying when it does. I blamed it possibly on the delivery truck thinking some regular coke had leaked and contamination the Coke Zero. Just a guess but after reading all the other comments it sounds like I’m way off. Anyway, thanks for listening. Glad I’m not the only one with this issue.

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Angela Kornegay
US
May 27, 2022 6:09 pm EDT

Same problem here too. But it wasn't just my Coke Zero today. I had a Dr.P yesterday and the bottle had the same problem. Poured into a glass and it was fine. I got my son to smell and it tell me what he smelled. He said BO. I remember this smelled one other time with a bottle in the past handful of years. I'm in Texas. I wonder if the heat is causing something to smell in the plastic the caps are my of.

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Holly Baumbach
US
Jun 15, 2022 6:27 pm EDT

I also drink Coke Zero and have been noticing the mildew smell in the cap and top of bottle. It doesn’t make consuming the drink very enjoyable and it’s not like I always have a cup handy to pour it in. I’ve never noticed this stench until the last few months. Now it’s on every 20oz bottle I get.

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Pamela Actaboski
US
Jul 30, 2022 11:52 pm EDT

I just bought four eight packs of the 12 oz diet cokes in under each cap it smells like mildew. I'm very disappointed in Coca-Cola and planned a contact them and also try to get reimbursed from the store. The bottle itself did not smell on the outside but as soon as you opened it you got the smell of like mildew under the top and around rim of bottle. I wouldn't drink it! Not worth getting sick over imo. Just purchased these 4 days ago.

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K.Ella
US
Aug 17, 2022 5:15 pm EDT

I'm in Atlanta, GA. I've started noticing this as well. I switched from regular coke back in February. And thought maybe that's just how it tastes, but the last few, even 2 liters, smell awful!

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The Mikey
Atlanta, US
Aug 19, 2022 12:07 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Bought a bottle at quiktrip. Drank 1/2 and put it in the fridge. Next day stank bad. reddit has a two year old thread on this topic. COKE, are you listening?

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Cacabutt
US
Aug 30, 2022 8:51 pm EDT

Bought a Coke Zero tonight, as I do almost every night on my way home from work. I took a sip and caught a strong whiff of body odor but did not connect the two. I work for a uniform company and I’m always surrounded by dirty B.O. smells. A few mins later I took another sip and was hit again with the smell. I took a whiff of the bottle mouth and shire as heck it was the bottle. Cap was a bit smelly too, but mostly the mouth. I stopped drinking it and had my S.O. smell it when I got home. He confirmed the smell without me telling him what I smelled (he thought I had poured alcohol in it when I prompted him to smell it)

This makes me slightly sad because I look forward to my after work treat, however I think this might help me kick the habit. Can’t fathom risking this happening again. :(

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Rebecca Colston
US
Sep 09, 2022 7:37 pm EDT

Just bought a 12 pack of coke zero. Everycan smelled so bad and the soda did too. Poured in a glasa to see if it was just the can but nope the soda smelled just as bad. Cannot even drink any of them. Such a waste of money. This isnt the first time I have gotten a coke that smells like this. I am done wasting my money on coke. We did check the dates on the cans and they were exspired. Would be wonderful to get a refund but im sure that wont happen. Do better coke.

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Anonnymiss
Warwick, US
Oct 05, 2022 7:38 pm EDT

Came here bc this just happened to me with my Diet Coke 20 oz and I thought I was going mad. Smells like mildew and I had to hold my nose to take another sip to wash down my stupid granola bar whose oats were stuck in my throat. That's all!

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Jinny E
Ravenna, US
Oct 11, 2022 3:07 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Just happened to me, but it was the actual sofa that smelled musty

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ANGIEO1219
Macon, US
Oct 13, 2022 9:33 am EDT

Ive noticed this for about 2 yrs now. Its not all bottles, just random here and there. Not pepsi products, just coke! don't know if its dangerous to drink but i always toss them to be safe. Expensive as heck when you think about how much they cost to toss so many!

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Jane Dough
US
Oct 13, 2022 8:43 pm EDT
Replying to comment of ANGIEO1219

I’ve noticed it on Pepsi products too.

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Ewwpepsi
Jacktown, US
Oct 21, 2022 10:35 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I came here because my husband bought himself a Pepsi zero and me a Diet Pepsi. I went to take a drink of it and it smelled to bad at the mouth of it. I smelled the cap. Same thing. Hubby’s zero was fine. Googled smelly soda bottle to find that this has happened with Pepsi Zero, but couldn’t find anything abt Diet Pepsi. Reading through these comments it looks though it’s common with any soda. How gross. Most have said its from temp changes and Sun exposure. Gross.

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amyleighc
MONTEREY, US
Nov 16, 2022 1:57 pm EST

I have bought single bottles and six packs of Diet Coke and the last few months, probably 2/3 had the smelly bottle opening and caps. Soda products taste ok but hard to get past the smell when taking a drink. it smells like old wax and BO. I think it's something in Coke packaging and bottling. It's frustrating to spend so much for a product, be looking forward to drinking it, and then have it smell and repulse you so much. I even tried wiping the bottle mouth and top of bottle with rubbing alcohol thinking it was some kind of dirt or production oil residue. That did not help.

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Renee “ThanklessJob”
US
Nov 16, 2022 7:20 pm EST

I just bought a 20oz Coke Zero from Walmart Suisun City, CA on 11/16/2022. Horrible smell. Dumped soda out. My husband said it had a horrible body smell.

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AprilW1983
sylvester, US
Jan 11, 2023 4:39 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am experienced the same problem, with just about each coke zero product. I am not sure what or why it s smells like this but it can not be healthy. I am going to be forced to stop drinking soda period as the cost has went up and the value of the product has went down. Pepsi is the same way, it is like they are producing so many and they are not sanitizing properly or something.

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Plewin
Glendora, US
Jan 16, 2023 7:33 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

WOW! I'm glad I found this thread! I thought I was going crazy..what I do is to wipe off the inside of the cap and the top of the bottle around the threads with warm water and the smell disappears and it tastes ok...next time it happens will report to Coca-Cola and will let them know. thanks!

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Lee Whiddon
US
Jan 27, 2023 8:08 pm EST

20oz Coca Cola's are tasting pretty bad. I bought 2 cases of 20oz from Sam's and they are all bad. Tried the local stores and they have the same problem. I have been going to purchase fountain drinks of Coca Cola to get a soft drink that is not horrible. This is taking place in Louisiana

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Enki666
US
Mar 16, 2023 12:39 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I'm in Oceanside California. Same smelly problem with 20oz diet coke bottle. Emailed Coca-Cola customer service. They just sent me coupons without an explination.

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Emily in bama
Alabaster, US
Sep 08, 2023 4:26 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I don't buy 20 oz drinks often but every single time, I buy a Mountain dew product 20 ounce bottle the, lids and the top of the bottle smell like mildew.

I actually Googled it to see if anyone else noticed it. That's how I ended up here. It's awful!

I don't believe I'll spend that much money on a snall drink from this company, until the issue has been resolved. It is a huge turn off and I don't even finish the drink. Hope they care enough to address the issue.

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