When Coca-Cola decides to cut a flavor, the company knows it will face backlash.
Coca-Cola likely anticipated negative consumer reaction when the company decided to cancel its original diet soda, TaB, back in 2020, but perhaps no organized effort emerged to revive the brand.
“Save TaB Seltzer” has become a movement, with petitions, protests and letters sent to Coca-Cola headquarters. The group behind it may be small, but they are passionate.
“On October 16, 2020, The Coca-Cola Company announced that after 57 years of production, they would be discontinuing TaB – their original Diet Coke. That’s where we come in. We are TaB drinkers with a purpose. We are the SaveTaBDaB committee, and we are working to convince Coca-Cola to reverse its decision to eliminate TaB,” the organization shared on its website.
So far, these efforts have failed. Coca-Cola ignored calls to bring back TaB while bringing back other flavors like Diet Cherry Coke.
Now, the beverage giant has quietly ended production of another popular Coke flavor without making any official announcement.
When Coca-Cola launches a new flavor, it rarely tells consumers whether it’s a permanent addition, like Diet Cherry Coke, or if it’s available for a limited time. This may be because the brand is keeping its secrets secret.
If the new flavor sells well, it may stay in stores until demand subsides. If interest wanes, the soda may be removed, perhaps with the intention of bringing it back later when soda-loving viewers notice it’s gone and demand its return.
Coca-Cola has not made any official statement regarding the latest soda deletion, but it has discontinued production of Coca-Cola Orange Cream.
“Coca-Cola Orange Cream is no more! The new Coca-Cola Cherry Float variant will replace Coca-Cola Orange Cream on shelves,” the popular Soda Seekers Instagram page shared.
An article in Sporked confirmed the demise of Coca-Cola Orange Cream, citing the retailer’s reset and distribution changes.
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Followers on the social media page seemed a little upset about the loss of flavor.
“It’s a solid flavor and I’ll personally miss it,” futakum007 wrote.
Others were surprised by the transformation.
jessewright_ added: “Just use a different label Cherry Coke instead.”
Even Coca-Cola can only take up so much shelf space. Shutterstock ·Shutterstock
In 2020, Coca-Cola streamlined its product lineup and removed dozens of beverages from its shelves after eliminating TaB.
At the time, Cath Coetzer, the company’s global head of innovation and marketing operations, explained its decision.
“This is not about reducing the number of specific products under our brands. Our goal is to drive impact and growth. It is about continuing to focus on the consumer and making conscious decisions about which brands are most worthy of our investment and resources, and taking the difficult but important step of identifying those products that are losing relevance and should therefore exit the portfolio,” she said in a release.
In some cases, such as Odwalla Juice and Zico coconut water brands, these decisions may be permanent. For flavors like Coca-Cola Orange Cream or even TaB, the company will most likely remove it in order to reintroduce it later as a limited-time product.
Related: The History of Coca-Cola: Timeline, Facts and Milestones
“I’ve been getting a lot of emails about TaB,” Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told CNN Business.
However, its end came down to simple retail math, which is likely why Orange Cream Coca-Cola was discontinued as well.
“Ultimately, it’s a Darwinian battle for space in supermarkets or convenience stores,” he said. “Retailers want every spot on the shelf to make as much money as possible. If a brand, even a well-loved one, sells a fraction of what other bottles sell, eventually it will be pulled.”
Of course, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and when Coca-Cola reintroduces a discontinued flavor I once loved, it grabs my attention, usually resulting in a short-term sales spike.
It’s not unlike many of Starbucks’ seasonal offerings or McDonald’s regular ribs.
Coca-Cola also recently ended its Minute Maid frozen concentrate line.
A Coca-Cola spokesperson told Food Dive: “Minute Maid frozen products will be discontinued in North America in the first quarter of 2026 while supplies last while in-store stocks last.”
“With strong growth in the juice category, we are focusing on products that better align with consumer needs,” the spokesperson said.
Due to the development of modern refrigeration technology, the demand for concentrated juice has declined.
According to Food Ingredients First, Sjors Peters, global head of innovative marketing for beverages at IFF, believes that consumer perceptions of taste, naturalness and health continue to drive demand for non-concentrated orange juice (NFC) over frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ).
“There is also a preference for NFC juice over FCOJ due to the lack of residue from previous crops. One effect of increased NFC production is a sharp reduction in the availability of orange essential oil,” he said.
RELATED: Coca-Cola quietly retires 80-year-old classic beverage line
This article was originally published by TheStreet on February 10, 2026, and first appeared in the Retail section. Click here to add TheStreet as your preferred source.
