Honest Tea claims to have stayed honest following Coke purchase
One year after The Coca-Cola Company exercised its option to purchase the remaining stock of Honest Tea, the company's CEO claims the process was beneficial for the organic tea manufacturer. Increasing exposure and sales have enabled the company to make a positive impact on the beverage industry and change Coke from within. One example is the amount of organic ingredients that the company purchases, increasing from 790,000 pounds to 4 million in five years and thereby supporting more sustainable farming. Honest Tea also stood up to Coke by refusing to stay silent about the absence of high fructose corn syrup in its beverages. Despite these efforts, critics and longtime fans claim that Honest Tea is operating in the shadow of its parent company and has become too dependent on it.