Diet Pepsi Without Aspartame? Fans React To Replacement


It’s official — Diet Pepsi will no longer have aspartame.

The Chicago Tribune reports that PepsiCo made the decision to replace the controversial ingredient after receiving a lot of negative feedback and responses from customers.

Reports confirm that aspartame will be replaced in Diet Pepsi with a different type of artificial sweetener — sucralose. Commonly known as Splenda, CNBC reports that many consumers believe it is a more acceptable ingredient.

Seth Kaufman, the senior vice president of Pepsi and Flavors Portfolio, PepsiCo North American Beverages confirmed the news and the impact that consumer feedback had on the decision in a released statement.

“Diet cola drinkers in the U.S. told us they wanted aspartame-free Diet Pepsi and we’re delivering. We recognize that consumer demand is evolving and we’re confident that cola-lovers will enjoy the crisp, refreshing taste of this new product.”

PepsiCo executives reportedly think that many consumers are turning away from diet sodas because of the presumed belief that aspartame is dangerous. On the contrary, the Food and Drug Safety Administration reportedly states that the exact opposite is the case.

“[Aspartame is] one of the most exhaustively studied substances in the human food supply, with more than 100 studies supporting its safety.”

Since the reports of the newly modified Diet Pepsi were first confirmed, quite a few people have posted their reactions to the news on Twitter. Some are concerned that the change in sweetener will affect the overall taste of the beverage.

Quite a few people are admittedly upset by the decision because of the fact that it was based on consumer feedback.

On the other hand, others feel as if the decision to make such a drastic change to the Diet Pepsi formula is pointless, claiming that it’s not going to make very much of a difference in sales.

Reports confirm that Diet Pepsi only claimed a little more than 4 percent of the carbonated soft drinks market in 2014.

Even though there is are a lot of negative comments related to the Diet Pepsi formula change, there is a substantial number of positive comments from satisfied consumers as well.

CNBC reports that all different types of Diet Pepsi (including Caffeine-Free and Wild Cherry) in the United States will now have a combined blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium instead of the aspartame.

The newly modified version of the beverage is expected to arrive in stores throughout the country in August.

[Image Credit: North Jersey]

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