Beverage makers plan QR codes for ingredient details

Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other major beverage companies are joining a U.S. effort to give consumers more information about what is in packaged drinks, TODAY reported. The initiative matters because it would put ingredient details one scan away on billions of beverages sold across the country.

According to TODAY, the companies will place QR codes on packaged beverages. When scanned, the codes will send consumers to a website with more information about the drink’s ingredients.

TODAY said the website will describe each ingredient and explain its function in the beverage. It will also show how food safety regulators in the United States and in other countries view that ingredient.

The effort is aimed at giving people access to health-related information in real time, NBC’s Vicky Nguyen reported for TODAY. The report described the rollout as an industry initiative involving America’s leading beverage companies, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

The report did not list every participating company. It also did not provide a product-by-product schedule for when the QR codes will appear.

Ingredient labeling has become a more visible issue for food and beverage companies as consumers look for clearer information about what they buy. The beverage companies’ approach, as described by TODAY, relies on digital labels rather than putting all of the added context directly on the package.

Nguyen reported the details on TODAY on June 22, 2026, in what the program described as an exclusive first look at the initiative.

This story draws on original reporting from TODAY.com.