Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola
Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola is a caffeine-free version of Coca-Cola, produced and sold by The Coca-Cola Company in bottles, cans and Freestyle machines. It also includes Diet Coke based Caffeine Free Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar based Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Caffeine Free.
Caffeine-free colas were first released in 1983–84 for both regular Coca-Cola and Diet Coke, but also the company's Tab cola. It was made at a time of growing health public conciousness in regard to caffeine and sugar drinks and came a year after competing Pepsi Free, which launched a year earlier. Caffeine-Free Coke have since been marketed all around the world. In 2013, Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola Zero was introduced in the United States and Canada. It had been sold in other territories such as France prior to its North American release.
In 2020, it was reported that Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola had been difficult to find in stores, both in cans and 2-liter bottles. The explanation given by various non-official sources is that it is due to a shortage of aluminum cans caused by the 2021–2023 [global supply chain crisis]. Because of the shortage of cans, less popular products are in short supply. However, there was no current shortage of aluminum cans.