This may have to do with doing a follow up on the exploding pop-rocks. I have an ulterior motive for bringing this up it may be the only way to get to the bottom of this since there is no myth about this but my friends make fun of the fact that I’m obsessed with fizzy pop. (yes I’m from the Midwest, I say pop not soda).

It started about 5 years ago when I opened the refrigerator and low and behold there was a bottle (2 Liter) of Ginger Ale. I thought WOW this is going to be refreshing I haven't had any in some time. I poured me some in a glass, neat. This isn't what I remember. It seemed flat.

I mentioned this to my dad, "he said well you know plastic bottles are not as good as cans for keeping in carbonation." He bought some canned ginger ale for me. It still seemed flat. Then I tried different brands. All the same flat, flat, flat.

Let me explain flat. None of them were what you would call truly flat but they did not have the effervescent fizz that I remember. I mean when you would pour pop into the glass and drink it the bubbles would go up your nose. You would see carbonation bubbles dancing at least an inch above the glass. This is what you see on any television commercial to convey refreshing.

All this made me think, “when was the last time I experienced the pop I’m talking about”.
I’d say at least 20 years, but I could not say exactly when pop changed.

I’ve contacted Cadbury/Schweppes, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi. All the twenty something’s that answered the phone did not know or ever experience what I was talking about. Most had the same statistics but said there has been no change in carbonation. Although they were help full and gave me the following.
• Shelf life of cans and plastic bottles.
• Amount of CO2 per volume of product.
• When sugar cane was replaced (by the less sweet high fructose corn syrup)
• When glass bottles were discontinued.
I found the most helpful person at Coca-Cola. We discussed altitude, using ice, the difference when cold and worm, etc.

I called the Soda Pop Depot that I seen on the History channel. Talked to owner he said that the old returnable bottles were thicker and they could put more CO2. The bottles he gets today break sometimes just sitting on shelf. Pop companies answer, “glass technology is better now.”

I’m starting the myth right here right now. Pop-Rocks could explode but not any more because pop manufactures in fear of lawsuits changed formula.