Aspartame-free Diet Pepsi is here, but Diet Coke is sticking with the sweetener.
After two years of extensive tests, Pepsi on Monday started selling its reformulated Diet Pepsi with sucralose and Ace K (or acesulfame potassium) in stores across the metro area.
Atlanta-based Coke says it has no plans to match the move by its archrival.
“We will not be changing the sweetener for Diet Coke,” Coke spokesman Scott Williamson said. “Americans have fallen in love with Diet Coke, the No. 1 zero-calorie sparkling beverage, because they enjoy its taste.”
Diet Pepsi is ditching its tried-and-true aspartame in response to consumer backlash to the artificial sweetener, which many have labeled as unhealthy. (Coke hinted that its Coke with Splenda, which has been around for 10 years, uses the same ingredients found in Aspartame-free Diet Pepsi).
Industry leaders say the backlash against aspartame has contributed to sinking sales volume of both Diet Pepsi and its bigger competitor Diet Coke, which were down 5.2 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively, in 2014.
Pepsi Trademark senior vice president Seth Kaufman said that while Pepsi maintains aspartame is safe, consumers ultimately felt differently and the company listened.
Pepsi tested the new formula has the same Diet Pepsi flavor, Kaufman said. “This is not something we took lightly,” he said.
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