Diet Coke

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Diet Coke
Diet Coke logo.svg
Diet-Coke-Can.png
A can of Diet Coke
Type Diet cola
Manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company
Country of origin United States
IntroducedAugust 9, 1982;41 years ago (1982-08-09)
Color Caramel
VariantsSee below
Related products Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola C2
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
Tab
Diet Pepsi
Pepsi Max
Website dietcoke.com

Diet Coke (also branded as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Diet or Coca-Cola Light Taste) is a sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Unveiled on July 8, 1982, [1] and introduced in the United States one month later, [2] it was the first new brand since Coca-Cola's creation in 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark. The product quickly overtook the company's existing diet cola, Tab, in sales.

Contents

History

First Diet Coke logo, used from 1982-88 Logo of Diet Coke (1982-1987).svg
First Diet Coke logo, used from 1982–88

When diet colas first entered the market, beginning with Diet Rite in 1958, the Coca-Cola Company had a long-standing policy to use the Coca-Cola name only on its flagship cola, and so its diet cola was named Tab when it was released in 1963. 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 that could be marketed more easily than Tab. Diet Coke was launched in 1982 and quickly overtook Tab in sales by a wide margin, though the older drink would remain on the market for decades until Coca-Cola discontinued Tab during the COVID-19 pandemic along with other of the company's slower-selling drinks in 2020. [3]

Diet Coke is not based on the Coca-Cola formula, but instead on Tab. 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 2005, the company introduced Coca-Cola Zero (renamed Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in 2017), a sugar-free formula more closely based on original Coca-Cola.

In 2005, under pressure from retailer Walmart (which was impressed with the over-the-counter popularity of Splenda sweetener), the company released a new formulation called "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda". [4] Sucralose and acesulfame potassium replaced aspartame in this version. As the formulation was done to mollify one retailer, this variety had little advertising and promotion, as the company preferred to market Coca-Cola Zero instead. By late 2009, most distributors had stopped distributing the Splenda-formulated Diet Coke.

English and Hebrew Coca-Cola labels English & Hebrew Coke labels.jpg
English and Hebrew Coca-Cola labels

In 2018, in an effort to be more appealing to millennials, Diet Coke was packaged in a taller, more slender can (of the same volume) and introduced four new flavors. [5] The cans reverted to the conventional shape a year later.

Sales

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 kJ) compared to 142 kilocalories (595 kJ) for a regular can of Coca-Cola. [6]

Sweeteners

Diet Coke in the US was sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener that became available in the United States in 1983. [7] Early on, to reduce costs, this was blended 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 aspartame. Diet Coke from fountain dispensers still contains some saccharin to extend shelf life. [8]

According to the Coca-Cola Company, the sweetener blend is "formulated for each country based on consumer preference". [9] Cyclamates were banned in the US in 1970; [10] [11] in countries where they are permitted Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Light may be sweetened with a blend containing aspartame, cyclamates, and acesulfame potassium.

Brand portfolio

NameLaunchedDiscon­tinuedNotes
Diet Coke1982—The first version of Coca-Cola without sugar
Caffeine-Free Diet Coke 1983—Diet Coke without the caffeine. It was the first extension of the Diet Coke formula
Diet Cherry Coke/Diet Coke Cherry 19862018 (physically)Diet Coke with a cherry flavor. Was available in the United States and United Kingdom until it was replaced in both territories with Diet Coke Feisty Cherry in 2018, although remained available for a limited time in the former country via Amazon.com during the time of the new flavor rollout, [12] but has since been discontinued. It still currently remains available from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Diet Coke with Lemon 2001Diet Coke with a lemon flavor. Available in several territories.
Diet Vanilla Coke/Diet Coke Vanilla 2002Diet Coke with a vanilla flavor. Available in Hong Kong, New Zealand (only 300mL and 600mL), Australia, Belgium, Canada. Only available in the United States from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Diet Coke with Lime 2004Diet Coke with a lime flavor.
Diet Coke Raspberry June 1, 2005End of 2005Diet Coke with a raspberry flavor. Only Available in New Zealand. Also available through Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Coca-Cola Light Citra/Diet Coke with Citrus Zest 20052018Diet Coke with a lemon and lime flavor. Only available in Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda2005—A version that is 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 20062007Diet Coke with a combination of black cherry and Vanilla flavors. Only available in the US.
Coca-Cola Light Sango 20052010'sCoca-Cola Light with a blood orange flavor. Only available in Belgium, France and Luxembourg. A similar drink was introduced to the United States and Canada in 2018, known as Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange.
Diet Coke Plus 20072011Diet Coke with a combination of vitamins and minerals. Available in many European countries, US and Brazil
Diet Coke Feisty Cherry20182020'sDiet Coke with a "spicy" cherry flavor. Available in the UK, US and Canada, replacing the former Diet Coke with Cherry flavor.
Diet Coke Ginger Lime20182020'sDiet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lime flavors. Available in the UK, US and Canada, replacing the former Diet Coke with Lime flavor.
Diet Coke Twisted Mango20182020'sDiet Coke with a Mango flavor. Available in the UK (as Exotic Mango), US and Canada.
Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange20182020'sDiet Coke with a Blood Orange flavor, similar to Coca-Cola Light Sango. Available in the UK, US and Canada.
Diet Coke Ginger Lemon20182020'sDiet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lemon flavors. Exclusively sold in the United States from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Diet Coke Strawberry Guava20192020'sDiet Coke with a Psidium cattleyanum flavor. Available in the United States.
Diet Coke Blueberry Acai20192020'sDiet Coke with an Açaí Blueberry flavor. Available in the United States.
Diet Coke Twisted Strawberry20192020'sDiet Coke with a Strawberry flavor. Available in the United Kingdom.

Product timeline

Advertising slogans

Health assessment

The most commonly distributed version of Diet Coke uses aspartame as a sweetener. As one of the most intensively scrutinized food additives, the safety of aspartame has been studied since its discovery. [36] Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by the regulatory agencies of many countries. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cola</span> Carbonated soft drink

Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas originally contained caffeine from the kola nut, leading to the drink's name, though other sources of caffeine are generally used in modern formulations. The Pemberton cola drink also contained a coca plant extract. His non-alcoholic recipe was inspired by the coca wine of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Vanilla</span> Vanilla-flavored cola

Coca-Cola Vanilla is a vanilla-flavored version of Coca-Cola, introduced in 2002 but subsequently discontinued in North America and the United Kingdom in 2005, only remaining available as a fountain drink. It was relaunched in the US in 2007; in Denmark in 2012, the UK in 2013, and Canada in 2016. Vanilla Coke has been available in Australia since its initial introduction in 2002, being produced by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Originally announced as a limited edition in the UK, it became permanent for several years; however, it was again discontinued in the UK in Summer 2018. Despite this, the product has still been distributed in related brands Diet Vanilla Coke and Coke Vanilla Zero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi One</span> Brand of cola produced by Pepsi

Pepsi One, corporately styled PEPSI ONE, was a sugar-free cola, marketed by PepsiCo in the United States as an alternative to regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diet soda</span> Type of sugar-free or artificially sweetened soda

Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tab (drink)</span> Diet cola brand

Tab was a diet cola soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company, introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 2020. The company's first diet drink, Tab was popular among some people throughout the 1960s and 1970s as an alternative to Coca-Cola. Several variations were made, including a number of fruit-flavored, root beer, and ginger ale versions. Caffeine-free and clear variations were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Diet Rite is an American brand of no-calorie soft drinks that was originally distributed by the RC Cola company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fresca</span> Branded diet citrus soft drink

Fresca is a grapefruit-flavored citrus soft drink created by The Coca-Cola Company. Borrowing the word Fresca from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, it was introduced in the United States in 1966. Originally a bottled sugar-free diet soda, sugar sweetened versions were introduced in some markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi Max</span> Sugar-free cola

Pepsi Max is a low-calorie, sugar-free cola, marketed by PepsiCo as an alternative to Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, except for Norway, where it is the main Pepsi flavor. Pepsi Max is available primarily in Asian, European and Australia/New Zealand markets. While Pepsi Max was released in April 1993, it did not become available in the United States until 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diet Pepsi</span> Sugar-free, artificially sweetened soda

Diet Pepsi is a diet carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi with no sugar. First test marketed in 1963 under the name Patio Diet Cola, it was re-branded as Diet Pepsi the following year, becoming the first diet cola to be distributed on a national scale in the United States. In the 1960s and 1970s, its competition consisted of the Coca-Cola Company's subsequently discontinued Tab. The United States represents the largest single market for Diet Pepsi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Mist</span> Discontinued lemon-lime flavored soda

Sierra Mist is a discontinued lemon-lime flavored soft drink line. Originally introduced by PepsiCo in 1999, it was eventually made available in all US markets by 2003. The name is a play on Mountain Dew: "sierra" is the Spanish word for "mountain range" and both mist and dew are composed of water droplets. The drink was rebranded as "Mist Twst" in 2016, but reverted to Sierra Mist in 2018. In early 2023, Sierra Mist was replaced by Starry. The brand was aimed at competing with Sprite and 7 Up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Zero Sugar</span> Diet cola

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is a diet cola produced by the Coca-Cola Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Cherry</span> Cherry-flavored cola soft drink

Coca-Cola Cherry is a cherry-flavored version of Coca-Cola. It is produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers in the United States and some international markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jazz (soft drink)</span> Discontinued sugar-free soda

Diet Pepsi Jazz was an American brand of soda introduced by the Pepsi company in 2006 and discontinued in 2009. It was a specifically named variant of Pepsi's popular Diet Pepsi product, combining several different flavors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi Zero Sugar</span> Sugar-free cola

Pepsi Zero Sugar, is a zero-calorie, sugar-free, formerly ginseng-infused cola sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame K, marketed by PepsiCo. It originally contained nearly twice the caffeine of Pepsi's other cola beverages. Before a recipe change in late 2022, Pepsi Zero Sugar contained 69 milligrams of caffeine per 355 mL (12.5 imp fl oz), versus 36 milligrams in Diet Pepsi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Freestyle</span> Touch screen soda fountain

Coca-Cola Freestyle is a touch screen soda fountain introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in 2009. The machine features 165 different Coca-Cola drink products, as well as custom flavors. The machine allows users to select from mixtures of flavors of Coca-Cola branded products which are then individually dispensed. The machines are currently located in major Coca-Cola partners and retail locations as a part of a gradual and ongoing deployment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar</span> Soft drink brand

Pepsi-Cola Soda Shop Made with Real Sugar, originally named Pepsi Throwback and Pepsi Made with Real Sugar and still branded that way in some international markets, is a soft drink sold by PepsiCo. The drink is flavored with cane sugar and beet sugar instead of the sugar substitute high-fructose corn syrup that has been used in the standard version of Pepsi within North America since the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sprite (drink)</span> Lemon-lime soft drink

Sprite is a clear, lemon-lime flavored soft drink created by the Coca-Cola Company. Sprite comes in multiple flavors, including cranberry, cherry, grape, orange, tropical, ginger, and vanilla. Ice, peach, Berryclear remix, and newer versions of the drinks are artificially sweetened. Sprite was created to compete primarily against 7-Up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepsi Next</span> Discontinued soft drink

Pepsi Next is a discontinued cola-flavored carbonated soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It was a variant of the Pepsi cola range.

References

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  3. ↑ "PBS NewsHour Weekend Full Episode December 19, 2020". Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022– via www.youtube.com.
  4. ↑ "Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda Archived January 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ." The Coca-Cola Company. 2009. Web. February 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ Klara, Robert (January 10, 2018). "Can Diet Coke's New Skinny, Rainbow-Colored Cans Attract the Millennials It Covets?". AdWeek. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
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  10. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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  14. ↑ "Cola Marketing History Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ." Solar Navigator. 2008. Max Energy Limited, Web. January 29, 2010.
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  19. ↑ "Diet Coke Unveils New Flavors and Marketing as Brand Refresh Enters Second Year". Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
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  21. 1 2 Paul, Larry R. (2005). Made in the Twentieth Century: A Guide to Contemporary Collectibles. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   978-0-8108-4563-3. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
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  35. ↑ Ellison, Jo (April 4, 2018). "How Diet Coke opened a can of correctness — and went flat". Financial Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  36. 1 2 EFSA National Experts (May 2010). "Report of the meetings on aspartame with national experts". EFSA Supporting Publications. 7 (5). EFSA. doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2010.ZN-002. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
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