Dante Carrillo
Pepsi has released a stevia-sweetened drink called Pepsi True, which contains 30% less sugar than regular Pepsi and no artificial sweeteners. However, this product is not a direct replacement for Diet Pepsi, which has historically used artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose. While stevia is a natural, plant-based, low-calorie sweetener, it has a bitter aftertaste that some people dislike. This has made it challenging for beverage makers to create a cola taste that consumers enjoy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does Diet Pepsi use stevia? | Pepsi True is a mid-calorie version of Pepsi made with natural sweeteners including stevia. |
| Is stevia a good sweetener? | Stevia is a natural, plant-based, low-calorie sweetener with no chemicals. It is generally recognized as safe by the FDA. |
| Why use stevia? | Stevia has no calories and is a natural alternative to sugar. |
| What does stevia taste like? | Stevia can have a bitter aftertaste. |
| What other drinks use stevia? | Coca-Cola Life, Coke Life, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up, Canada Dry, Bai, and Starbucks Refreshers. |
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What You'll Learn
Pepsi True: Pepsi's stevia-sweetened drink
Pepsi True is Pepsi's stevia-sweetened drink. It was launched in 2014 and is a mid-calorie version of the soda made with natural sweeteners. Pepsi True contains 30% less sugar and 40% fewer calories than regular Pepsi, with no artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup.
Stevia is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that comes from the leaves of a plant native to Paraguay. It has been used in various products, from flavoured water to energy bars, but it can be tricky to work with due to its bitter aftertaste. This aftertaste has been a problem for beverage makers trying to maintain a familiar and sweet cola taste.
Pepsi spent three years developing the ideal blend of sugar and stevia for Pepsi True. The company's chief marketing officer, Simon Lowden, claimed that the product captures the "true taste of cola" and evokes the time when colas used real sugar.
However, opinions on the taste of Pepsi True are mixed. While some customers enjoy the taste and appreciate the low-calorie content, others find it lacks a "true" Pepsi taste and has an unpleasant chemical aftertaste.
Pepsi True was launched exclusively on Amazon, with Pepsi compensating its bottlers for purchases made in their respective regions. This novel launch strategy was designed to ensure a "right-size approach" for this new product proposition.
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Stevia's health benefits
Pepsi True is a stevia-sweetened cola launched by PepsiCo in 2014. It contains 30% less sugar than regular Pepsi and has no artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup. It was launched exclusively on Amazon and is among the first colas in the US to use stevia as its primary sweetener.
Stevia is a natural sweetener that is significantly lower in calories than table sugar. It is extracted from the leaves of a plant native to Paraguay and has been used for centuries in South America and Asia to sweeten drinks like tea. It is also an important source of water-soluble vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin B2, and folic acid.
Stevia is a healthier alternative for people with diabetes as it does not impact blood sugar levels. It can be used as a sweetener in yogurt or hot tea to maintain healthy blood sugar levels without adding carbohydrates. Research has shown that stevia sweeteners do not contribute calories or carbohydrates to the diet and have no effect on blood glucose or insulin response.
Stevia also has potential anti-obesity properties. It can be a good substitute for sugar in a low-calorie or ketogenic diet as it adds few or no calories to the diet. However, some studies have shown weight gain due to how the brain reacts to sweetness, stimulating the appetite.
Stevia also has anti-hypertensive properties and can help reduce blood pressure. It has also been found to have antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. It may also improve kidney function, contrary to earlier beliefs that it posed a danger to kidney health.
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Stevia's bitter aftertaste
Pepsi True is a stevia-sweetened cola launched by PepsiCo Inc. in 2014. It is a mid-calorie drink that contains 30% less sugar than regular Pepsi, with no artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup. The launch of Pepsi True came at a time when the carbonated soft drink business had been in decline for about a decade in the US, with diet sodas underperforming their regular sugared counterparts.
Stevia, a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of a plant native to Paraguay, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is up to 200 times sweeter than sugar with no calories, making it a popular alternative. However, stevia has often been associated with a bitter, metallic, or licorice-like aftertaste that many people find unpleasant. This aftertaste is due to the interaction between minor steviol glycosides and taste receptors on the tongue, which simultaneously stimulates sweet and bitter receptors.
The intensity of stevia's aftertaste can vary, with some people finding it more off-putting than others. It is more pronounced in some stevia extracts or brands than others. Some companies have addressed this issue by adding other sweeteners or real sugar to mask the bitter aftertaste. However, this defeats the purpose of using a low-calorie sweetener like stevia.
To overcome this challenge, food scientists from Cornell University have developed a method to reduce stevia's bitter aftertaste by physically modifying Reb A, a glycoside molecule responsible for the aftertaste. This approach does not involve breaking or forming chemical bonds but instead applies "hydrophobic effects" to create a stable Reb A-protein complex that dissipates the bitter molecular components. This innovation has the potential to encourage the food and beverage industry to incorporate more stevia into their products, providing consumers with healthier alternatives.
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Stevia's approval by the FDA
Pepsi True is a stevia-sweetened cola launched on Amazon in 2014. It contains a blend of sugar and stevia, reducing its calorie content by 30% compared to a regular Pepsi. The launch of Pepsi True reflects a shift in consumer preferences towards healthier and more natural beverage options.
Stevia is a plant native to South America that has been cultivated for hundreds of years. In the United States, stevia's journey to becoming a widely accepted sweetener involved several key steps and approvals by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In 1995, the FDA revised its import alert on stevia leaves and extracts, allowing their use as dietary ingredients in dietary supplements. This revision paved the way for the entrance of stevia into the US market as a dietary supplement.
Later, in 2007, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives established a safe level of intake and specifications for steviol glycosides. This included setting a minimum purity standard of 95% for seven named steviol glycosides, ensuring the product's safety for consumption.
In 2008, the FDA responded positively to a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notice. This notice pertained to the use of highly purified steviol glycosides obtained from stevia leaves as a general-purpose sweetener in food. The GRAS designation is significant as it affirmed the safety of stevia for general use in food products, marking a pivotal moment in stevia's regulatory journey.
While stevia has been approved by the FDA as a sweetener, it is important to note that the FDA's regulatory approach to stevia and its derivatives, such as steviol glycosides, is ongoing. The FDA continues to provide guidance and updates through import alerts and notices to ensure compliance and safety for consumers.
In summary, the approval of stevia by the FDA as a sweetener opened the door for its use in various products, including beverages like Pepsi True. This approval process involved multiple steps, including recognizing the safety of stevia and its derivatives, establishing purity standards, and ensuring compliance through import alerts and notices.
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Other stevia-sweetened drinks
Pepsi True is a stevia-sweetened drink that contains a blend of sugar and stevia. It contains 30% less sugar and 40% fewer calories than a regular Pepsi. However, Pepsi True is not a diet drink and is instead marketed as a mid-calorie drink.
Stevia is a natural sweetener that has been used for over 200 years. It is derived from a plant native to Paraguay in South America and has gained popularity due to its lack of calories. It is often used in beverages as a healthier alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Stevia is used in a variety of drinks, including flavoured water, energy drinks, tea, and coffee. Some specific examples of stevia-sweetened drinks include:
- Zevia: A company that produces soda, energy drinks, and tea sweetened with stevia. Their products include traditional cola, root beer, and fruit-flavoured options.
- Bai: Bai offers a range of stevia-sweetened products, such as Super Teas, Bai Bubbles, and coconut water antioxidant infusions (CocoFusion).
- Starbucks Refreshers: Starbucks offers Refreshers, which are described as energizing drinks containing ingredients like B vitamins, natural caffeine, and vitamin C. They are sweetened with rebaudioside-a, a stevia leaf extract.
- Coca-Cola Life: This is Coca-Cola's stevia-sweetened drink, which is a reduced-calorie cola that also contains sugar.
- True Citrus: This brand offers a range of stevia-sweetened drink mixes, including lemonade and strawberry lemonade.
- Truvia: Truvia offers stevia in packets that can be added to hot and cold beverages like tea and coffee.
While stevia is a popular alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, it is worth noting that it can have a bitter aftertaste that some people may not enjoy. Beverage makers often blend stevia with other sweeteners like sugar or sugar alcohols to mitigate this bitterness and create a more appealing taste.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Diet Pepsi does not use stevia. Instead, it uses a blend of sucralose (artificial sweetener) as a substitute for aspartame.
Yes, Pepsi True is a stevia-sweetened cola launched by Pepsi in 2014. It contains 30% less sugar than the original Pepsi and no artificial sweeteners.
Pepsi True was launched to capture the "true taste of cola" and hearken back to a time when colas used real sugar. It was also a response to the increasing demand for natural and healthy products.
Stevia is a natural, plant-based, low-calorie sweetener. It is native to Paraguay and has been used as a sweetener for over 200 years.
