Kentucky environmental attorney Sanders says Coca Cola is shrinking its product size under the guise of healthy living, but is raising the overall price of its product to consumer.

Coca-Cola recently introduced a new 7.5-ounce can of soda with just 90-caloried per can.  90-calorie per can sounds good, especially for folks watching their (or their children’s) calorie intake. However, is it a good dollar value?

The answer is, “No, it is a way for Coke to charge more for less product.”  Sort of like shrinking the net weight of the Pringles in the same sized can or less Fritos in the bag — and selling the product at the same price as the original sized container. Or, my personal favorite, shrinking the size of the candy bars and keeping the wrapping the same. 

When compared to 12 ounce cans of Coke, the 7.5 ounce cans of soda cost 50 to 140 percent more. For example, in Washington, D.C., 12-packs of 12-ounce cans are sold at prices ranging from $4 and $5.99 at Giant and Safeway stores. Both chain stores charge $3.99 for 8-packs of the new 7.5-ounce cans.

If you are confused about whether the 7.5 ounce can is a good deal or not, you are not alone. To fairly compare prices, let’s look at what a quart (i.e., 32 ounces) of Coke costs from 12 ounces cans and the new 7.5 ounce cans. 

12 ounce cans of Coke cost between $0.89 and $1.33 per quart; and the little 7.5 ounce can of Coke cost about $2.13 a quart.  Because there are 4 quarts in a gallon, a gallon of Coke in 7.5 ounce cans costs about $8.50 a gallon.  

You do the math and make the informed decision on whether it is a good deal to you.  Seems to me that this is another marketing spin of a price increase from some Wall Street pinhead trying to increase company profits at the expense of the American consumer on Main Street.