Madeleine Hull
Diet Pepsi is a diet carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo, introduced in 1964 as a sugar-free variant of Pepsi. The drink has undergone several reformulations over the years, with the sweetener being a particular focus of change. Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, was once the main sweetening ingredient in Diet Pepsi, but due to health concerns, PepsiCo decided to remove it in 2020, replacing it with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium. However, sales flopped, and aspartame was reintroduced in 2023. Aspartame has been flagged as a possible carcinogen by health agencies, but its use remains prevalent in the food and beverage industry due to its low cost, ease of use, and popular taste.
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What You'll Learn
Aspartame is the main sweetener in Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi, currently stylized as PEPSI DIET, is a diet carbonated cola soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It was introduced in 1964 as a variant of Pepsi with no sugar. Diet Pepsi was the first diet cola to be distributed on a national scale in the United States.
In 2015, PepsiCo removed aspartame from Diet Pepsi due to customer concerns about possible health risks associated with the artificial sweetener. However, sales flopped, and aspartame was brought back in 2016 as "Diet Pepsi Classic Sweetener Blend". In 2020, PepsiCo again announced that it would be removing aspartame from Diet Pepsi and replacing it with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Aspartame has been the subject of health warnings, as some studies have linked it to an increased cancer risk in humans and tumours in animal trials. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated that aspartame is safe, and a second W.H.O. committee noted that a person would need to consume more than a dozen cans of Diet Coke per day to exceed the safe threshold for the sweetener.
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Aspartame is linked to an increased cancer risk
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in many food and beverage products, including Diet Pepsi. While aspartame is generally recognized as safe for consumption, there have been concerns about its potential link to cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), along with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), have evaluated the health impacts of aspartame. IARC classified aspartame as a "possible carcinogen" for humans (Group 2B), citing limited evidence of carcinogenicity in both human and animal studies. However, it is important to note that the classification of "possible carcinogen" indicates limited evidence, but not convincing evidence, for cancer in humans.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has recommended avoiding aspartame due to its link to increased cancer risk in studies. Some studies in lab rats suggested that aspartame might increase the risk of certain blood-related cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, as well as other types of cancer. However, these studies had limitations and were not consistent with epidemiologic studies in humans.
While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that aspartame is safe to consume at currently recommended levels, other organizations, including the American Cancer Society, support the call for more research on aspartame and its potential link to cancer. The FDA sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame, which is the maximum amount considered safe for daily consumption during a person's lifetime. The current ADI for aspartame is 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day in the US, while JECFA and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommend a slightly lower ADI of 40 mg/kg/day.
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PepsiCo removed aspartame in 2020
PepsiCo, Inc. removed aspartame from Diet Pepsi in the United States in 2020. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than regular table sugar. It is widely used to sweeten diet sodas.
In April 2020, PepsiCo announced that it would no longer use aspartame, which had fallen out of favor with health-conscious consumers. The company replaced aspartame with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium in some of its diet offerings. The aspartame-free Diet Pepsi, marketed as "Diet Pepsi Classic Sweetener Blend", was sold alongside the new formula from September 2020.
The removal of aspartame was part of a strategy to revive falling cola sales. However, this change did not prevent a decline in PepsiCo's net revenue, which fell by 3% in the first quarter following the change.
In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research arm, listed aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans". Despite this, PepsiCo has stated that it does not intend to change its product portfolio relative to aspartame, and will continue to use it as a sweetener.
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PepsiCo replaced aspartame with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium
PepsiCo's decision to replace aspartame with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium in its Diet Pepsi beverage was influenced by shifting consumer preferences and health concerns. Aspartame, an artificial sweetener approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, has been a subject of controversy due to its negative health perception and association with increased cancer risk. In 2015, PepsiCo announced that they would replace aspartame in their diet offerings with sucralose, another artificial sweetener that had not garnered as much negative attention. Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace K, would remain in the formula.
This move was a response to consumer demand for a great-tasting cola without aspartame, despite decades of studies deeming it safe by major scientific and regulatory bodies. PepsiCo SVP Seth Kaufman emphasized that the new formulation was developed after extensive research and testing with US diet cola drinkers. The replacement of aspartame aimed to address the concerns of consumers who were increasingly wary of artificial sweeteners and their potential health risks.
While aspartame is made from two amino acids naturally found in many everyday foods, it has faced scrutiny from organizations like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI has long recommended that consumers avoid aspartame due to its link to tumors in animal trials and potential carcinogenic effects. The negative perception of aspartame prompted PepsiCo to market their reformulated Diet Pepsi as "Aspartame Free."
The decision to replace aspartame with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium reflects PepsiCo's strategy to adapt to evolving consumer preferences and health concerns. By addressing the controversy surrounding aspartame, PepsiCo aimed to revive falling cola sales and regain consumer trust in the health profile of their products. This shift in sweeteners also highlights the complex dynamics between consumer perceptions, health research, and the food industry's response to these evolving demands and concerns.
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Aspartame is a common ingredient in many diet and sugar-free drinks
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener and popular sugar substitute commonly found in many diet and sugar-free drinks. It is significantly sweeter than sugar, with sources estimating it to be about 200 times sweeter. This means that only a tiny amount of aspartame is required to sweeten foods and drinks, which is why it is often used in weight-loss diets.
Aspartame is present in many food and beverage products, including Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Snapple, Fanta Zero, Sprite Zero, Crystal Light, and Diet Pepsi. In the case of Diet Pepsi, aspartame was revived as the main sweetener in the US markets in September 2016, and it was sold alongside the new formula.
Aspartame is also sold under brand names such as Nutrasweet, Equal, and Sugar Twin. It is approved for use in food as a sweetener by the FDA, and it is included in the ingredient list on food labels. However, despite its extensive use and popularity, aspartame has become a source of controversy in recent years, with some research suggesting it may have adverse health effects.
For example, a 2021 animal study found that aspartame ingestion in rats led to increases in body weight and fat mass due to increased energy efficiency. Additionally, a 2023 questionnaire study found a correlation between aspartame intake and greater body weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, a 2021 review suggested a possible link between aspartame and metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. However, it is important to note that more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the potential long-term metabolic effects of aspartame.
Despite the concerns, the FDA has stated that "FDA scientists do not have safety concerns when aspartame is used under the approved conditions." The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has also reaffirmed an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 40 milligrams (mg) of aspartame per kilogram (kg) of body weight for adults.
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Frequently asked questions
Aspartame is the sweetener used in Diet Pepsi. It is an artificial sweetener and is also known by the brand name Equal.
No, in 2015, PepsiCo changed the formula to sucralose, however, due to negative feedback, they reverted to aspartame in 2018.
Aspartame has been deemed a 'possible carcinogen' by the WHO cancer agency. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has stated that it disagrees with these findings, and some believe the risk is overblown.
