Dive Brief:
- Although consumers are rapidly turning away from diet sodas, which typically feature artificial sweeteners, and sales of soda are at a 30-year low, Diet Coke's recipe is not expected to change, according to CNNMoney.
- Diet Coke remains the leading diet cola in the market; however, sales declined 6% in 2015.
- Coca-Cola is promoting its Coke Zero as an alternative diet soda. Competitor PepsiCo changed its formula for Diet Pepsi last year, removing aspartame and replacing it with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Dive Insight:
Diet Pepsi's move was poorly received by some loyal followers of the soda, who took to social media to express disappointment.
The sale of sodas have been on the decline with the diet soda category suffering the most. A study last year linked diet soda to unhealthy eating habits, and even the diet soda label had been called into question as "deceptive, false and misleading," though the FTC dismissed those claims.
Even with challenges such as these, Coca-Cola officials will stick to the diet soda formula for now.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have turned to other beverages such as bottled water to deal with the bumps in the diet soda road, and to appeal to health-conscious consumers. Bottled water is one of the leading beverages in the non-alcoholic drink market, and consumption of brands including Dasani (Coca-Cola), Aquafina (PepsiCo) and Poland Springs increased in volume from 6.5% to 11.4% in 2015, according to Business Insider.
Fruit drinks, water and unsweetened tea comprise 25% of PepsiCo's sales.
PepsiCo has "been future-proofing our product portfolio, reshaping it to capitalize on consumers' increasing interest in health and wellness," Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo CEO, said during an investors call earlier this week.
Coca-Cola's officials have announced sales of still beverages, such as water and Minute Maid, increased 7%. Its volume of packaged water increased in the double digits in the first quarter.