New York – Finding a can of regular Sprite in the United Kingdom is about to get difficult.
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Coca-Cola says it’s replacing Sprite in the country with a version that uses the sweetener stevia and has 30 percent fewer calories. Sprite Zero, which doesn’t have any calories, will also be available.
The change by the world’s biggest beverage maker is in response to a government push calling on companies to address obesity. Coca-Cola already made a similar move with Sprite in France last year.
Stevia is a sweetener extracted from a plant of the same name. Food makers have been trying to use more of the non-caloric sweetener in diet drinks and other products.
The announcement came ahead of the airing of Coca-Cola’s anti-obesity TV ad in the United Kingdom. That ad first aired in the United States in January amid increasing fire over the role sodas play in fueling obesity rates. Next week, for example, New York City is set to enact a first-in-the-U.S. ban on sugary drinks bigger than 16 ounces in restaurants, movie theaters and other venues.
In the Coca-Cola ad, a narrator notes that obesity “concerns all of us.” It also explains that weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories of any kind – not just soda.
A Coca-Cola spokeswoman said the ad will roll out to other countries throughout the year, although she didn’t yet have a list. She said the company is still exploring whether to bring the Sprite with stevia to the U.S.
But the company has already been experimenting with reduced-calorie versions of Sprite and Fanta that use stevia in select U.S. markets since this summer.
The problems of widespread obesity only started after they started using high fructose corn syrup, that’s been documented. When I was a kid before diet, everyone drank coke with real sugar and obesity was not common. The other factor is eating so many highly processed foods. Pessach coke is real sugar and bigtime coke conosours buy it in bulk online. Pepsi throwback is much better than regular pepsi, without the aftertaste that HFCS leaves.
I have NO problem with nutrasweet whatsoever however as someone involved with this project, it is nice to see they are getting somewhere.
Until very recently, KLBD (the kashrut wing of the London Beit Din) would not provide stevia with a hechsher for some reason.
no, its the simple fact that in the 1950’s you had one 8 ounce can of coke and you were done.Today, a child can consume a 2 liter bottle over the course of a shabbos. THAT is why we are obese
I am also tired of those with a shred of education bashing anybody that questions the current medical and health beliefs. I have 8 years post HS Science education and most people with real knowledge hedge their opinions. Only fools know it all. The same know it alls jump at every instance of vaccine discussions yet seemingly know nothing of how vaccines are manufactured nor about well documented vaccine tragedies.
The discussion about HFCS should not be a discussion, there should be theoretical analyses and well controlled studies. Arguing on VIN is meaningless and invalid studies muddy it more.
The same goes for a well known pediatrician on the free trip for Pesach circuit bashing parents that question vaccines. Many with a better education than his Mexican MD degree know there might be concerns.
Actually, he’re the problem: Diet soda, with aspartame, causes many people to crave sugar. Although diet soda has zero calories and by itself can’t cause weight gain, drinking it causes some people to load up on cookies and cake. You’re probably better off drinking regular soda or a carbonated fruit juice like Izzie; I’m totally hooked on that stuff.
This is not a problem in other countries, where cyclamate, the best artificial sweetener, is used. Unfortunately, cyclamate was banned in the US 42 years ago because some rats drinking the equivalent of 350 cans of diet soda daily got bladder cancer. While the FDA has later said the study was flawed because it couldn’t be repeated with similar results, and that cyclamate is safe, it has so far refused to re-allow it.