Stevia-Sweetened Coca-Cola

Global drinks giant Coca-Cola has announced plans to trial a new range of stevia-sweetened Coca-Cola drinks in Argentina. Although the company has previously incorporated the plant-based, zero-calorie sweetener into drinks products such as Glacéau Vitamin Water Zero, Fanta Select and Sprite, this is the first time it has been used in its flagship product.
The new mid-calorie product, called Coca-Cola Life, will go on sale in Argentina this week. The drink is expected to contain around half the calories of regular Coke and will be sweetened with both sugar and stevia. Rival beverage giant PepsiCo released a stevia-sweetened product called Pepsi Next in Australia in September 2012, which contains 30% less sugar than regular Pepsi.
US food news website Food Navigator quotes the company as saying: “[Coca-Cola Life] is a unique, great-tasting option for those looking for beverages with fewer calories. As we continue to expand our portfolio to meet consumers’ evolving needs and preferences around the world, we will explore the roll-out of Coca-Cola Life in other markets.”
For more on the growth of stevia in the drinks market, see The Truvia Voyage of Discovery and Stevia-Sweetened Alcohol, as well as The New Sugar, which explores the next generation of sweeteners.