Coca-cola had been around for about 100 years at the point he made that comment. My read is that he was illustrating how solid Coca-cola revenue prospects were

Coca-cola had been around for about 100 years at the point he made that comment. My read is that he was illustrating how solid Coca-cola revenue prospects were for the long term. He was certainly not saying there was a question about cancer as a possibility. No possibility in his mind, and therefore, his certainty that Coca-cola revenue was a sure bet.