[Erasmus]

However, in the early 1980’s, Pepsi starting outselling Coke. After a few years of hand wringing and worry, on April 23, 1985, the Coca Cola Company—and this is still emotionally straining as I write this–abandoned its century old formula and introduced—sigh—“New Coke.”

Notice that he is careful not to say "original" formula, and most of us know why.

[Erasmus]

Come to think of it, the author is also impying that the “century old formula” contained corn syrup instead of sugar.