10.5M views · Jan 8, 2026 · 25:05 · 0 HN recommenders · 8 mentions · discussed 2026
LabCoatz uses mass spectrometry, with help from other science YouTubers, to reverse engineer the Coca-Cola flavor and builds a chemically-identical replica. The video walks through a year of work on the formula.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN mostly cites it as a notable example of reverse engineering a famously secret formula, not as a recommendation.
“This content creator used a mass spectrometer to find the flavoring used in Coca-Cola.”HN comment, 2026
“Someone just used gas chromatography to develop a seemingly passable knock off of the unpainted Coca Cola formula and posted it online.”
Someone just used gas chromatography to develop a seemingly passable knock off of the unpainted Coca Cola formula and posted it online. this video
The guy on YouTube who just recreated the formula of Coca-Cola with HPLC & etc should take a crack at it Perfectly Replicating Coca Cola (It Took Me A Year) by LabCoatz this video
“Some YouTuber basically reverse engineered it, and he found that the main thing contributed by the coca leaves were tannins.”
Some YouTuber basically reverse engineered it, and he found that the main thing contributed by the coca leaves were tannins. this video
“He mentions that the ingredients are shipped unlabeled from different facilities who don't know what they're making.”
Slightly unrelated, the recent LabCoatz video went into a bit about the CocaCola recipe and how it's protected: this video He mentions that the ingredients are shipped unlabeled from different facilities who don't know what they're making. He then goes on to reverse engineer the formula. Because science.
I don't know, I can distinguish between Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola easily. I prefer Diet Coke, FWIW. I also now have a bottle of Lab Cola from this video and it _is_ indistinguishable from regular Coca-Cola to me. So it might be plausible in case of a deliberate Coca-Cola knock-off?
“This content creator used a mass spectrometer to find the flavoring used in Coca-Cola.”
Perfectly Replicating Coca Cola (It Took Me A Year) - LabCoatz : this video This content creator used a mass spectrometer to find the flavoring used in Coca-Cola.
Reminds me a lot of this video where the authors claim to have essentially replicated the true coca-cola flavor: this video
I don't think Coca Cola is a good counterpoint due to a couple of reasons: 1) there was a recent attempt to find the formula [1], but the primary reason that was infeasible is that, allegedly by the ingredient list, they use coca extract and, IIRC, only one company provides that in the US, due to FDA regulations. Even if they were find the formula behind, it wouldn't help much, so they're are trying to replicate the flavor instead. 2) Coca Cola is, before anything, a brand. It's not comparable to generic medications because people in general don't buy it for the formula specifically, but the expectation of flavor and taste associated with the brand. Even if you were to find the current formula, the Coca Cola Company can just change it. In regards to the last point, there probably is one (likely in heavily subsidized prices case), but, regardless, I don't see how your point shows patents are the reason anymore than a increase in competition, which we are proposing would happen if patents were abolished. [1] this video
