Posted on 05/06/2005 6:19:46 PM PDT by Perdogg
May 6, 2005
ATLANTA (CP) - The Coca-Cola Co., the world's biggest soft drink maker, said Monday it will begin selling Diet Coke sweetened with sugar substitute Splenda in the spring. Rival PepsiCo Inc., meanwhile, said it plans to reformulate its single-calorie drink Pepsi One with the sweetener as well.
Shares of a major manufacturer of Splenda's key ingredient rose on the news. Diet Coke with Splenda will have a distinct label with the name of the sweetener on it as well as a yellow streak. Coca-Cola will continue to sell traditional Diet Coke, which is flavoured with aspartame, separately.
Diet Coke with Splenda is expected to be launched in the second quarter, the Atlanta-based company said in a statement.
The launch follows Coke's rollout of other flavours of Diet Coke, including lime, lemon, cherry and vanilla.
Offering more varieties is part of the beverage giant's effort to boost sales in North America.
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, meanwhile, plans to launch Pepsi One reformulated with Splenda in March, spokesman Dave DeCecco said. Its Diet Pepsi drink is sweetened with aspartame.
Splenda has grown in popularity since its introduction in 2000, appearing in everything from soda and ice cream to candy and jams. Demand for it has been spurred by a surge in anti-sugar diets such as Atkins and South Beach.
Splenda is sold to consumers as a table and baking sugar substitute by McNeil Nutritionals, a Pennsylvania-based unit of Johnson & Johnson.
In 1991, Canada became the first country to approve the use of sucralose, sold under the name Splenda. Sucralose is produced by chlorinating sugar, or sucrose. This involves chemically changing the structure of the sugar molecules by substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydroxyl groups.
It is non-caloric and about 600 times sweeter than sucrose, or white table sugar.
Shares of London-based Tate & Lyle PLC, a leading manufacturer of Splenda's key ingredient sucralose, rose 7.1 per cent to close at 5.01 pounds (US$9.39) on the London Stock Exchange.
Coca-Cola shares rose two cents to close at $42.49 in Monday trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where PepsiCo shares fell 61 cents to close at $54.70.
© The Canadian Press, 2005
Who will want the old version with Splenda in the new?
Why is PepsiCo bothering? I think I'm the only guy in the state of Kansas that drinks Pepsi One. Can hardly find it, now.
It's about damn time!
Diet Rite is tasty, but no caffeine...
not me.
Only if you drink it at Taco Bell.
Tagatose is a different story. Can we say "run to the border"?
I Si
Have a good weekend
:~)
DOH! NO THANKS! :D
Never happened to me, and I consume large quantities of it on a daily basis. I used to import it from Canada before the FDA finally approved its use here.
How did you get ahold of one of those? I'm anxious to try it.
I got it at Giant, wegman's, and Seven-eleven.
Nah....wasn't that 'lustra' or something like that? The stuff they used for low calorie chips a few years ago.
My husband found it last week at a Quick Trip. He liked it.
Becky
Thanks guys. I'll check it out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.