When Coca-Cola makes the decision to cut a flavor, the company knows it will face backlash.
In 2020, when the company made the decision to phase out its original diet soda, TaB, Coca-Cola probably expected backlash from consumers, but perhaps not the organized effort to bring back the brand that emerged.
“Save TaB Soda” became a movement with a petition, protests and letters delivered to Coca-Cola headquarters. The group behind it may not be big, but they are passionate.
“On October 16, 2020, The Coca-Cola Company announced that they will be discontinuing TaB – their original Diet Coke – after 57 years of production. That’s where we come in. We’re TaB drinkers with a purpose. We’re the SaveTaBSoda Committee and we’re working hard to convince Coca-Cola to reverse their decision to remove their group from their website.
So far, these efforts have failed. Coca-Cola has ignored calls to bring back TaB, while reviving other flavors such as Diet Cherry Coke.
Now, the beverage giant has very quietly ended production of another popular cola flavor without making any kind of official announcement.
When Coca-Cola introduced a new flavor, it rarely told consumers whether it was intended to be a permanent addition, such as Diet Cherry Coke, or a limited-time offer. That may be because the brand keeps its cards close to its vest.
If the new flavor sells well, it can be left in stores until demand subsides. If interest declines, the soda can be withdrawn, perhaps to be brought back later when the soda-loving public notices it’s gone and demands its return.
In the case of the latest soda wipeout, Coca-Cola has not made any kind of official statement, but it has stopped making Coca-Cola Orange Cream.
“Coca-Cola Orange Cream is no more! New Coca-Cola Cherry Float will replace Coca-Cola Orange Cream on shelves,” posted the popular Instagram page Soda Seekers.
An article on Sporked confirmed the end of Coca-Cola Orange Cream, citing retailer resets and distribution changes.
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Followers on the social media page seemed mildly upset at the loss of flavor.
“This was a solid flavor, I’ll miss it personally,” futakum007 wrote.
Others were surprised by the switch.
“Only to be replaced by Cherry Cola with a different label,” jessewright_ added.
Even Coke can only take up so much shelf space. Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
In 2020, when TaB was killed, Coca-Cola reduced its range, eliminating dozens of drinks.
At the time, Cath Coetzer, the company’s global head of innovation and marketing operations, explained its decision.
“It’s not about reducing to a certain number of product offerings under our brands. The objective is to drive impact and growth. It’s about continuing to follow the consumer and being very intentional about deciding which of our brands are most worth our investment and resources, and also taking the hard but important steps to identify those products that are losing relevance and therefore we should say it in a press release.
In some cases, such as its Odwalla juices and Zico coconut water brands, these decisions are likely to be permanent. For a flavor like Coca-Cola Orange Cream or even TaB, the company could very well remove it only to bring it back later as a limited-time offer.
Related: History of Coca-Cola: Timeline, Facts and Landmarks
“We’ve been getting a lot of emails about TaB,” Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told CNN Business.
Its end, however, came down to simple retail math, which is why Orange Cream Coca-Cola was also discontinued.
“Ultimately, it’s a Darwinian battle for space in the supermarket or department store,” he said. “The retailer wants to make as many dollars as possible for every shelf space. If a brand, even a beloved one, is selling a fraction of what these other bottles are going to sell, eventually it will be taken out.”
Absence, of course, makes the heart grow fonder, and when Coke brings back a discontinued flavor I used to like, it grabs my attention and usually leads to a short-term increase in sales.
It’s not all that different from Starbucks’ many seasonal offerings or McDonald’s periodically bringing back the McRib.
Coca-Cola also recently ended its Minute Maid line of frozen concentrates.
“Minute Maid frozen products will be discontinued in North America in the first quarter of 2026, with in-store inventory available as supplies last,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson told Food Dive.
“With strong growth in the juice category, we are focusing on products that better match what our consumers want,” the spokesperson said.
Demand for juice from concentrate has declined due to modern refrigeration.
Sjors Peters, global marketing lead for beverage innovation at IFF, believes that consumer perceptions of taste, naturalness and health have continued to drive demand for Not From Concentrate (NFC) over Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ), Food Ingredients First reported.
“The preference for NFC juice over FCOJ was also accentuated by the lack of carryover from previous crops. One effect of higher NFC production was a drastic reduction in the availability of orange essential oil,” he said.
This story was originally published by TheStreet on February 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.
