Diet Coke

Diet Coke
Type Diet Cola
Manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company
Country of origin United States
Introduced 1982, 34 years ago
Color Caramel
Variants
Related products Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola C2
Coca-Cola Zero
Tab
Coca-Cola Light logo

Diet Coke, (called Coca-Cola Light in some countries), is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. Unveiled on July 8, 1982[1] and introduced in the United States on August 9,[2] it is the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark. The product quickly overtook the company's existing diet cola, Tab, in sales.

Diet Coke was sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener, after the sweetener became available in the United States in 1983;[3] to save money, this was originally in a blend with saccharin. After Diet Rite cola advertised its 100 percent use of aspartame, and the manufacturer of NutraSweet (then G. D. Searle & Company) warned that the NutraSweet trademark would not be made available to a blend of sweeteners, Coca-Cola switched the formula to 100 percent NutraSweet. Diet Coke from fountain dispensers still contains some saccharin to extend shelf life.[4]

In other countries in which cyclamates are not banned (as they were in the US in 1970[5][6]), Diet Coke or Coca-Cola light may be sweetened with a blend containing cyclamates, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium.

In 2005, under pressure from retailer Walmart (which was impressed with the popularity of Splenda sweetener), the company released a new formulation called "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda".[7] Sucralose and acesulfame potassium replace aspartame in this version. Early sales were weaker than anticipated; however, Coca-Cola did little advertising for the brand, investing money and advertising in Coca-Cola Zero instead. By late 2009, some distributors had stopped supplying Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda.

Diet Coke does not use a modified form of the Coca-Cola recipe, but instead an entirely different formula. The controversial New Coke, introduced in 1985, used a version of the Diet Coke recipe that contained high fructose corn syrup and had a slightly different balance of ingredients. In 2004, Coca-Cola introduced Coca-Cola C2, which it claims tastes much closer to Coca-Cola but contains half the carbohydrates. In 2005, the company introduced Coca-Cola Zero, a sugar-free variation of regular Coca-Cola.

When Tab was released in 1963, the Coca-Cola Company refused to release a diet soda with the Coca-Cola name, fearing that its flagship brand might suffer. Its rival Pepsi had no such qualms, and after the long-term success of its sugar-free Diet Pepsi (launched in 1964) became clear, Coca-Cola decided to launch a competing sugar-free brand under the Coca-Cola name, which could be marketed more easily than Tab.

Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi have capitalized on the markets of people who require low sugar regimens, such as diabetics and people concerned with calorie intake. In the UK, a 330 ml can of Diet Coke contains around 1.3 kilocalories (5 kilojoules) compared to 142 kilocalories (595 kJ) for a regular can of Coca-Cola.

Brand portfolio

Name Launched Discontinued Notes Picture
Diet Coke 1982 The first version of Coca-Cola without sugar
Caffeine-Free Diet Coke 1983 The first version of caffeine free Diet Coke and the first extension of the Diet Coke formula
Diet Cherry Coke/Diet Coke Cherry 1986 Available in US and United Kingdom (as of 2007).
Discontinued in Australia and Israel.
Diet Coke with Lemon 2001 2005 in US Only available in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Israel, and the United States. The version sold in Continental Europe uses the Coca-Cola light brand. Was available for a time in Australia.
Diet Vanilla Coke/Diet Coke Vanilla 2002 2005 in US Only available in Hong Kong, New Zealand (only 300mL and 600mL), Australia, Belgium, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Diet Coke with Lime/Diet Coke Lime 2004 Available in the US, the UK, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Was available for a time in Australia.
Diet Raspberry Coke June 1, 2005 2006 Only Available in New Zealand, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda 2005 Sweetened with Splenda. Diet Coke with Splenda contains 2.83 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce. The drink contains acesulfame potassium and sucralose; aspartame was used previously as sweetener.
Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla 2006 2007 Only available in US and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coca-Cola Light Sango 2005 Only available in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Diet Coke with Citrus Zest 2007 Only available in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the United Kingdom
Diet Coke Plus 2007 2011 Available in many European countries, US and Brazil

History

Main article: History of Coca-Cola

Advertising slogans

Debate over health issues

Further information: Aspartame controversy

The most commonly distributed version of Diet Coke (and the majority of beverages that contain artificial sweeteners) relies on aspartame, which has been suggested to pose health concerns. Aspartame is one of the most intensively scrutinized food additives.

Coca-Cola has now released Diet Coke sweetened with sucralose (also known as Splenda), although it is not as common.

The sodium benzoate was found to break down mitochondrial DNA in living yeast cells.[13] Research published in 2007 for the British government's Food Standards Agency suggests that sodium benzoate (E211) is linked to hyperactive behavior and decreased intelligence in children.[14] In January 2008 sodium benzoate was removed from production lines for Diet Coke sold in the UK, however it remains in other Coke products and other production locations.[15]

Coca-Cola Light

"The sweetener blend used for Diet Coke/Coca-Cola Light is formulated for each country based on consumer preference."[16] Some countries began using the term "Coca-Cola Light" as early as the 1990s, with others adopting the name later on, while others continue the use of "Diet Coke".

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Diet Coke introduced". Wilmington Morning Star (North Carolina). Associated Press. July 9, 1982. p. 6B.
  2. ↑ "See First Use in Commerce, Trademark Application, US Patent & Trademark Office."
  3. ↑ "Coke Beginning Aspartame Use". New York Times. August 18, 1983. p. D4.
  4. ↑ Ordoñez, Franco (March 3, 2005). "Suit Alleges Deceit in Fountain Diet Cola Drinks". Boston Globe. Retrieved August 26, 2008.
  5. ↑ http://www.accessdata.fda.gov
  6. ↑ Newton, David E (2009-01-01). Food Chemistry. pp. 73–77. ISBN 9781438109756.
  7. ↑ "Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda." The Coca-Cola Company. 2009. Web. February 9, 2010.
  8. ↑ "The Diet Coke Story." Diet Coke. *2010 – The Coca-Cola Company, Web. January 29, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Cola Marketing History." Solar Navigator. 2008. Max Energy Limited, Web. January 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Top-10 CSD Companies and Brands for 2010" (PDF). John Sicher, Editor & Publisher, Beverage Digest Company L.L.C. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Coca‑Cola Bottles History". London, UK: Coca-Cola GB. 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Share a Coke: Is your name on the list?". The Belfast Telegraph (Belfast, UK: Independent News & Media). May 27, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  13. ↑ Hickman, Martin. "Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health." November 15, 2011. web.
  14. ↑ Posch, Linda. "Food Additives, Hyperactivity & Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)." Leif Grunseth. October 17, 2007. Web. February 9, 2010.
  15. ↑ Crowley, Laura (2008-05-27). "Sodium benzoate removed from Diet Coke". Retrieved 2010-05-28.
  16. ↑ "FAQs". The Coca-Cola Company.

External links

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