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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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93 comments
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Emily in bama
Alabaster, US
Sep 08, 2023 4:26 am EDT
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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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Enki666
, US
Mar 16, 2023 12:39 am EDT
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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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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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Plewin
Glendora, US
Jan 16, 2023 7:33 pm EST
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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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AprilW1983
sylvester, US
Jan 11, 2023 4:39 pm EST
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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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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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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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Ewwpepsi
Jacktown, US
Oct 21, 2022 10:35 pm EDT
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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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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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Jinny E
Ravenna, US
Oct 11, 2022 3:07 pm EDT
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Just happened to me, but it was the actual sofa that smelled musty

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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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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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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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The Mikey
Atlanta, US
Aug 19, 2022 12:07 pm EDT
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Mizzwoods
, US
Jan 04, 2022 12:35 am EST
Verified customer This comment 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
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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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Jdwellborn
Gainesville Georgia, US
Dec 03, 2021 4:12 pm EST

I bought a Diet Coke 20oz a month ago at a car wash and it smelled like BO. I noticed the date on the bottle had expired. So today I got a 20oz from our drink machine at work and it smelled the same. I looked at the date on this one and it’s out of date as well. Today is Dec 3, 2021 and the date on the bottle is Oct 25 2021. I mentioned it at work so someone showed me this site of all the BO complaints.

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KLestrange
Na, US
Oct 21, 2021 3:38 pm EDT

Hey all!
I experience this every time I’ve had a soda made by Coca-Cola for the past few months.
Did some research and found that the Coca-Cola Company has recently changed how the bottles are made. They now use 100% recycled plastic. It seems that the smell is common with recycled plastics. I hope they find a way to hide it!

Here’s a link to the article on the bottle change.
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/news/packaging-sustainability-in-united-states

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Gabyjov
Hinsdale, Illinois, US
Oct 30, 2021 12:54 am EDT
Replying to comment of KLestrange

I bought a bottle of Diet Coke today and the cap and the rim of the bottle both smell very bad! This is the second time I have experienced this with Diet Coke. It’s awful especially when I was so looking forward to drinking it! Has Coca-Cola responded to anyone yet and is it mildew or is it from the recycled plastic?

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Teri Beau
Birmingham, US
Oct 07, 2021 1:38 pm EDT

I found this from several years ago:

"Mold Found in Coke Products in Senegal"

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-24-fi-9540-story.html

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Rebecca Eliza
, US
Oct 08, 2021 10:19 pm EDT
Replying to comment of Teri Beau

I have also received a coke today, I simply searched google for “soda bottle smells musty” no brand, nothing, and this thread comes up. I’m disgusted. This is just awful.

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Teri Beau
Birmingham, US
Oct 07, 2021 1:24 pm EDT

I'm in Birmingham, Alabama and the last 2 bottles of Diet Coke I just got from the grocery store also smell like mold and mildew! I thought it was my fridge; then I thought it was just the outside of the bottle, but I've wiped down the newest bottle with a Lysol wipe, and it IS the contents that smell! I'm pouring it out! I'm upset that I didn't realize where the smell was coming from when I drank from the first bottle. :(

I'd sure hate to give up drinking Diet Coke, but this not acceptable!

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NJS27
Los Angeles, California, US
Oct 22, 2021 12:26 am EDT
Replying to comment of Teri Beau

I just got a bottle of regular Coke in the plastic 20oz bottle and terrible mold/mildew/musty smell. It may be the new 100% recycled bottles.

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Camryn M
, US
Oct 04, 2021 7:16 pm EDT

I’m in Southern California… just got a Diet Coke at my local gas station and had the same problem everyone else is having. Really disturbed by all of this but I’m glad i looked it up before just ignoring the stench and drinking the entire thing! So weird…

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Brittana365
San Jose, US
Sep 27, 2021 10:08 pm EDT
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Coke zero toady is musty. Orange vanilla coke bought 40 miles away yesterday was the same. I guess I'm glad it's not just me? But it's gross either way.

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James LH
, US
Sep 19, 2021 10:28 pm EDT

Same my wife bought one earlier today 100 miles from home and I bought one on my way home. Both were mildew smelling caps and top inside. My wife thinks it's the new bottles they're using. The smaller ones in six packs we buy haven't had this issue.

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NJMatt90
Camden, New Jersey, US
Sep 10, 2021 7:46 pm EDT

I've had this happen a number of times now and not with diet or zero products. Regular coke and regular Sprite the smell is exactly what everyone here is describing. I didn't know what to think and I've saved my last bottle, the Sprite for days now and keep checking it to see if it goes away...nope still smells like hell. The only thing I've thought that I haven't seen here yet is that maybe it could have something to do with the fact that all blessed bottles are recycled plastic. Maybe that has nothing to do with it and it could be some type of chemical or spray to prevent covid cuz I thought other things too the only thing is that it's inside the bottle it wouldn't be a spray that goes inside the bottle. Any way..I'll be placing a call. Thanks to everyone here who commented their ideas...

-Matt from Jersey.

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Carl McKinney
, US
Oct 28, 2021 4:52 pm EDT
Replying to comment of NJMatt90

Recycle means the plastic is melted and used to make bottles. They don't wash and refill plastic bottles. They only did that with glass.

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GraphixGuy
Kaukauna, Wisconsin, US
Sep 06, 2021 11:36 pm EDT
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I drink a LOT of caffeine free Diet Coke and almost every 16.9 oz bottle I drink lately smells either like caulk or old cat pee. What the heck is going on? It’s so gross I keep dumping them out and wasting a ton of money. Don’t know if this is safe to drink. Shouldn’t have to smell the bottle before drinking it. If this doesn’t get resolved soon, I’ll be switching to CF Diet Pepsi. So nasty!

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OSilks
Champaign, US
Sep 06, 2021 9:43 pm EDT
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Every bottle of the last two six packs of 16.9 oz bottles of Coke Zero (with the new red label) I've bought have had a burnt plastic smell inside the bottle. The coke tastes normal and doesn't smell abnormal when poured into a cup, but it's definitely strange and a bit alarming.

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Mary Trotta
Las Vegas, US
Sep 03, 2021 10:24 pm EDT
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YES! I opened one last night while working and was like omg this smells like an old sponge that needs to be thrown away. I opened another one today, same. This is unreal! I still have it. I'm keeping it. This could be dangerous. Some kind of moldy machine or ingridents.

Coke, you're gonna have a huge law suit on your hands if we all get sick. I'm a diabetic and I drink Coke Zero products. All of them. Including the Coffee Cokes that rarely are even on the shelf!

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jbikbak
, US
Sep 03, 2021 8:48 pm EDT

Bought a 20oz bottle yesterday at a local variety store. When I opened it, the smell of mildew was overwhelming. Upon closer inspection, the entire bottle has a faint greenish haze. I dumped it. I can't imagine how the whole bottle smells that bad, particularly because the outside of it doesn't smell at all. It's just when the bottle is open that it stinks. Gross.

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Shauna McPherson
, US
Sep 02, 2021 12:59 pm EDT

I smell BO as well. I first noticed it on a Barq's Diet Cream Soda I got from a gas station a few months ago. Im having a Coke Zero from the vending machine at work today and it smells the same - ARMPITS. I usually bring a 12 pack of diet or zero coke to work and I dont think its the product, is the bottle!

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sarah12354
hoboken, US
Sep 09, 2021 1:23 pm EDT

ME TOO. wow this is so validating. I've gotten two 20 oz bottles of diet coke in the last week that smell like BO.

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urbansix
, US
Sep 22, 2021 2:28 pm EDT

Yes! I have been smelling "BO" / armpit smell on random coke-zero & diet coke bottles for YEARS. Not every bottle, but both from grocery stores and convenience stores, at random. It's always around the neck and lid.

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DJMac1
Muncie, US
Sep 26, 2021 2:52 pm EDT
Replying to comment of sarah12354

I'm on my second bottle that smells like BO! Its horrible!

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Cokezerosmellsbad
, US
Aug 29, 2021 8:30 pm EDT
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I have noticed the last 4-6 two liters of Coke Zero have smelled like old musty water. As soon as I twist the lid open the smell hits me in the face. The lids smell especially bad. I have been wanting to decrease the amount of Coke Zero I consume, this is definitely helping me accomplish that goal.

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Karin3823
Clayton, California, US
Aug 23, 2021 6:06 pm EDT
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So glad to read this, thought I was going crazy. I’ve had two Coke zeros in the last week that have smelled like the worst BO ever. Made me sick!