Coca-Cola and Pepsi add QR codes on cans and bottles to check ingredients when scanning

Coca-Cola and Pepsi—along with other U.S. beverage giants—are deploying QR codes on cans and bottles that link to expanded ingredient information. The news, collected by CBS News and NBC News, marks a rare agreement between historical rivals under the umbrella of the American Beverage Association (ABA).

By scanning the QR on the packaging, the consumer accesses GoodToKnowFacts.org, site of the Good to Know initiative with data on more than 140 common ingredients in soft drinks and packaged beverages: from sugar and caffeine to lesser-known additives such as maltodextrin or L-carnitine.

What you will find when you scan

For each substance, the website offers a simple definition, what other foods or drinks it is used in, alternative names (for example, maltodextrin also as E1400) and the regulatory status with the US FDA, the European EFSA and Health Canada. Where applicable, links evaluations of the joint FAO/WHO committee.

The ABA emphasizes that the site does not give opinions or recommendations: it compiles public information from food safety agencies. It also indicates, for the first time according to the association, which ingredients reached the market through the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) process of industrial self-determination.

Who participates and when it arrives in your soft drink

In addition to The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper, brands such as Celsius, Monster Energy, Polar Beverages and Red Bull participate, according to NBC News.

• Pepsi — now redirects the QR of its drinks to the site
• Coca-Cola — deployment planned to be completed by June 2026
• Keurig Dr Pepper — adding feature later this year
• All participating brands — goal of full coverage by the end of 2027

The digital initiative was born in July 2025 with the launch of GoodToKnowFacts.org, but this month's step is to bring the link directly to the packaging that millions of people have in their hands.

SmartLabel, Good to Know: is it the same?

Many Coca-Cola containers have been with SmartLabel for years - the sector program with the QR "SCAN FOR INFO" seen in the image -, which offers an expanded sheet of the specific product. Good to Know is the ABA's commitment to centralize cross-sectional ingredient information for the entire beverage industry, not just one brand.

Important: the QR does not replace the label. CBS News warns that the website does not break down the recipe for each can: you have to continue reading the printed list to find out what exactly your Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Dr Pepper contains.

Criticism and political context

The ABA frames the project in the demand for greater transparency about food ingredients, citing the push of the Trump administration. But groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) warn that it is advisable to check with independent sources: a spokesperson cited by NBC pointed out that GoodToKnowFacts.org does not include recent studies that question certain additives.

The association responds that the site reflects assessments by bodies whose role is to review available science, including new research. In parallel, the ABA supports reforming the GRAS framework to require notification to the FDA in new uses of ingredients.

In summary

What's changing? More cans and bottles of Coke, Pepsi and other brands will have QRs that lead to a base of 140+ ingredients. What is it for? Understand what each additive is and what the FDA, EFSA and Canada say. What doesn't it do? It doesn't list the exact formula of your soda. When? Pepsi now; Coke this month; entire sector in 2027. Scan, but keep reading the label.