Leena Watts
Diet Mountain Dew is a no-calorie, sugar-free variant of Mountain Dew, which was first introduced in 1984 as Sugar-Free Mountain Dew and was renamed to its current name in 1986. It is produced by PepsiCo, which also manufactures other Mountain Dew products. Diet Mountain Dew contains artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose, and has undergone various formula changes since its launch. Despite its lack of nutritional value and potential health concerns associated with its ingredients, Diet Mountain Dew remains a popular choice for consumers seeking a low-calorie alternative to regular Mountain Dew.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | PepsiCo |
| Calories | 10 |
| Nutritional value | None |
| Sweeteners | Sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium |
| Previous sweetener | Aspartame |
| Caffeine | Yes |
| Tagline | "DIET DEW" |
| Previous tagline | "Low Calorie DEW" |
| Year introduced | 1984 or 1986 |
| Previous name | Sugar-Free Mountain Dew |
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What You'll Learn
- Diet Mountain Dew is made by PepsiCo
- It has no calories and is sweetened with artificial sweeteners
- It was introduced in 1984/1986 as 'Sugar-Free Mountain Dew'
- In 2006, PepsiCo changed the formula, creating a new blend of sweeteners
- Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was released in 2020, but Diet Mountain Dew remains available
Diet Mountain Dew is made by PepsiCo
In 2006, PepsiCo reformulated Diet Mountain Dew, creating a new and improved formula called "Tuned Up Taste". This new formula uses a blend of sweeteners named sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium, whereas the previous formulation used only aspartame. Aspartame has been linked to potential negative health effects, including weight gain, according to a study conducted on mice by Massachusetts General Hospital.
In 2020, PepsiCo released Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in the United States, leading to speculation that it would replace Diet Mountain Dew as the company's primary low-sugar drink offering. However, a PepsiCo employee confirmed that there were no plans for Zero Sugar to replace Diet Mountain Dew, and both drinks would continue to be available to consumers.
The availability of Diet Mountain Dew varies by region. For example, in Canada, a caffeine-free version was sold during the 1990s due to laws preventing the addition of caffeine to non-dark soft drinks. It was later reintroduced in 2012 as Diet Mountain Dew Citrus Charge. In the United Kingdom, Diet Mountain Dew was sold between 1997 and 1998 but was pulled from the market due to low sales. As of 2022, Diet Mountain Dew coexists with Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in Newfoundland and other eastern provinces, making it a region-specific flavor in Canada.
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It has no calories and is sweetened with artificial sweeteners
Diet Mountain Dew is a zero-calorie, sugar-free alternative to the original Mountain Dew drink. It was first introduced in 1984 as "Sugar-Free Mountain Dew" and was renamed to its current name in 1986.
Diet Mountain Dew is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of corn syrup or sugar. In 2006, PepsiCo reformulated Diet Mountain Dew with a new "Tuned Up Taste", using a blend of sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners. The previous formulation used only aspartame as a sweetener.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that has been approved by the FDA for use in food and beverages. However, some research has suggested that artificial sweeteners like aspartame may cause people to crave sweeter, less nutritious foods without associating sweetness with calories. This could potentially lead to overeating and weight gain. For example, a study conducted on mice by Massachusetts General Hospital suggested that aspartame may promote weight gain by interfering with an enzyme that fights obesity.
Despite the potential drawbacks of artificial sweeteners, Diet Mountain Dew remains a popular choice for those looking for a zero-calorie alternative to the original Mountain Dew. It retains the same citrus taste and yellow-green color as the original drink, although some purists claim that the diet version tastes nothing like the regular soda.
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It was introduced in 1984/1986 as 'Sugar-Free Mountain Dew'
Diet Mountain Dew is a no-calorie, low-calorie-sweetener variant of the original Mountain Dew drink. It was introduced in 1984 as Sugar-Free Mountain Dew, and was rebranded and renamed in 1986 to Diet Mountain Dew. It has the same citrus taste and yellow-green colour as the original Mountain Dew, but with only 10 calories compared to the 290 calories in the original. It is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of corn syrup or sugar.
In 2006, Diet Mountain Dew was reformulated with a new blend of sweeteners called a "Tuned Up Taste", which uses sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium. The previous formulation was sweetened exclusively with aspartame. This change was made by PepsiCo, who created a "new and improved" formula.
In the United States, Diet Mountain Dew coexisted with Mountain Dew Zero Sugar from its release in January 2020. However, in Canada, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar replaced Diet Mountain Dew in 2020, though Diet Mountain Dew returned in 2022 as a region-specific flavour in Newfoundland and other eastern provinces. In the United Kingdom, Diet Mountain Dew was first sold in 1997 but was pulled from the market in 1998 due to low sales. It was then re-released in 2011, branded as Sugar-Free Mountain Dew - Get Energized.
Diet Mountain Dew has also been introduced in various other countries, including Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Romania, Spain, Australia, and Malaysia. In some countries, it is known as "All Dew, No Sugar" or Free Mountain Dew.
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In 2006, PepsiCo changed the formula, creating a new blend of sweeteners
Diet Mountain Dew is a no-calorie Mountain Dew drink that was first introduced in 1984 (although one source suggests it was 1986 or 1988). It was originally known as "Sugar-Free Mountain Dew" before being renamed to its current name, Diet Mountain Dew. The drink is a modified version of the Original Mountain Dew formula, containing a low sugar count while retaining the same citrus taste and yellow-green colour.
In 2006, PepsiCo changed the formula, creating a new and improved blend of sweeteners called a "Tuned Up Taste". This blend included sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium. Previously, Diet Mountain Dew was sweetened exclusively with aspartame. The change in sweeteners may have contributed to the perceived changes in taste reported by some consumers. Some noticed a strange or "sharper" taste, while others found the drink to be sweeter than before. There have also been reports of taste variations across different locations, which could be due to the involvement of different bottling companies and their unique processes or ingredients.
The formula change in 2006 was not the first or the last time Diet Mountain Dew underwent alterations. The drink has a history of regular formula and branding changes. For example, in 2012, Diet Mountain Dew was introduced in the United Arab Emirates and several European countries under different names, although it is likely no longer produced in the UAE. More recently, in 2020, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was released in the United States, sparking speculation about whether it would replace Diet Mountain Dew. However, a PepsiCo employee confirmed that both drinks would continue to be available.
The Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired by the Pepsi-Cola company in 1964, leading to an expansion of distribution across the United States and Canada. PepsiCo has continued to make changes to the Diet Mountain Dew formula over the years, with the most recent formula change occurring in 2025. This change once again involved a new blend of artificial sweeteners, impacting the flavour profile of the beverage. While some consumers have expressed mixed reactions to these changes, Mountain Dew continues to adapt and innovate its products to meet market demands and trends.
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Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was released in 2020, but Diet Mountain Dew remains available
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was released in the United States in January 2020. It is a sugar-free, zero-calorie variant of Mountain Dew, which retains the same citrus taste and yellow-green colour as the original drink. It was speculated that Mountain Dew Zero Sugar would replace Diet Mountain Dew, but a PepsiCo employee confirmed that this was not the case. Both drinks would remain available for consumers.
Diet Mountain Dew, also known as "All Dew, No Sugar" in several countries, is a low-calorie variant of Mountain Dew, with only ten calories compared to the 290 calories in the original drink. It is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of corn syrup or sugar. Diet Mountain Dew was first introduced in 1984 and was originally branded as Sugar-Free Mountain Dew. In 2006, the formula was changed to a blend of sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners.
In April 2020, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar replaced Diet Mountain Dew in most of the country, unlike in the United States, where the two drinks coexist. From 2022 onwards, Diet Mountain Dew coexisted with Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in Newfoundland and other eastern provinces, becoming a region-specific flavour. Diet Mountain Dew has also been reintroduced in other countries, such as Finland, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand, where it is known as Mountain Dew Zero Sugar or All Dew - No Sugar.
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar has since been released in other countries, including Canada, Arabia, the Philippines, and South Korea. It has also been introduced in fountain form at Circle K locations and Taco Bell restaurants, replacing other Mountain Dew flavours. The release of Mountain Dew Zero Sugar in different countries has had varying timelines, with some countries rebranding existing Diet Mountain Dew drinks and others introducing it as a new flavour.
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Frequently asked questions
Diet Mountain Dew is made by PepsiCo.
Diet Mountain Dew was first introduced in 1984 or 1986. It was formerly known as "Sugar-Free Mountain Dew".
Diet Mountain Dew is a modified version of the original formula, containing a low sugar count but retaining the same citrus taste and yellow-green colour. It has only 10 calories compared to 290 in the original.
Diet Mountain Dew is sweetened with artificial sweeteners sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium.
Diet Mountain Dew was sold in Canada during the 1990s but it is unknown when it was discontinued. It returned to the Canadian market in 2012 as Diet Mountain Dew Citrus Charge.
