Soda fountains could be a lot more diverse in the near future. Coca-Cola announced that the company is testing new fountain machines that can dispense 100 different beverages in about the same space as the traditional eight-nozzle design, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
The company tested first-generation prototypes this summer, and will test second-generation dispensers in the first half of 2009, the AJC reported. After the second round of testing, the company will then decide whether to market the product.
The new dispenser works by using highly-concentrated ingredient packs that are about as easy to change as print cartridges, according to a Coca-Cola press release.
If marketed, the new design would allow Coke to sell many more of their beverages in concentrate form – including their full Zero and Fanta lines – and create room for independent beverage brands.
