Diet soda

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Diet Coke, one of the highest-selling diet soft drinks in the world

Diet or light beverages (also marketed as sugar-free, zero-calorie, low-calorie, zero-sugar or zero) are generally sugar-free,

artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics
and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.

History

Though artificial sweeteners had been known since the discovery of saccharin in 1878,[1] the diet beverage era began in earnest with the 1949 launch of La Casera (also known as Gaseosa) in Madrid, Spain using cyclamate. The product, which belongs now to Suntory Beverage and Food Europe (SBFE), is still in market. This was followed by the development of No-Cal ginger ale in 1952. Hyman and Morris Kirsch of Kirsch Beverages (Brooklyn, New York) formulated No-Cal for diabetic and otherwise sugar-restricted hospital patients, also using cyclamate calcium to replace the sugar. Recognizing Americans' growing desire for weight loss, Kirsch began marketing No-Cal to the general public, particularly to women. By 1953, the drink had become popular in New York City and the surrounding region.[2] Canada Dry followed with Canada Dry Glamor in 1954.[3]

In 1958, Royal Crown Cola introduced their own cyclamate and saccharin sweetened dietetic beverage, Diet Rite. Following highly successful trials in Chicago and North Carolina, RC began marketing Diet Rite nationwide for the general public in 1962. It shortly became the 4th-best selling soda in the US, behind only Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and RC Cola itself.[2]

The following year (1963),

Patio Diet Cola (shortly renamed to Diet Pepsi). Coca-Cola added Fresca
in 1966.

All of the above products were originally sweetened with

Delaney amendment, the FDA immediately announced a ban on cyclamate in food and drink products, to take effect in 1970. Diet sodas were quickly reformulated with saccharin alone (in the hopes that consumers would tolerate the metallic aftertaste), but the market share of diet sodas rapidly fell from 20% to 3% overall.[2][7]

After further studies in the 1980s linked saccharin to cancer as well, most manufacturers switched to aspartame in 1983.[2][8]

By the early 1990s, a wide array of companies had their own diet refreshments on supermarket shelves. Tab made a comeback during the late 1990s after new studies demonstrated that saccharin is not an important factor in the risk of cancer. Nevertheless, The Coca-Cola Company has maintained its 1984 reformulation, replacing some of the saccharin in Tab with NutraSweet.

By 2002, some beverage companies had diversified to include such flavors as

Diet Pepsi Vanilla). By 2004, several alcohol companies had released sugar-free or "diet" alcoholic products too.[2]

Sweeteners

Main article: Sugar substitute

Several different sweeteners are used to replace sugar in low-calorie diet beverages. The primary compounds worldwide are

cyclamates (outside the US), acesulfame potassium ("Ace K"), and stevia
.

The ideal goal in artificial sweetening is to replicate the exact taste and texture effects of sucrose with one or more of these non-caloric sweeteners. Despite decades of research and development, this goal remains elusive.[9][10] Most sweeteners carry a marked aftertaste, often described as "bitter" or "metallic".[9][11] The perception of this aftertaste has been studied intensively,[12][13] and appears to be based on genetic factors that vary from person to person.[9][14]

In recent years, rising consumer preference for "natural" products and concern over the possible health effects of artificial sweeteners has spurred demand for stevia-based sweeteners and driven manufacturers to seek novel phytochemicals.[9][11]

Aspartame

Aspartame, commonly known by the brand name NutraSweet, is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. The 1982 introduction of aspartame-sweetened Diet Coke accelerated this trend. Today, at least in the United States, "diet" is nearly synonymous with the use of aspartame in beverages.

Neotame and advantame are further derivatives of aspartame. They received FDA approval in 1998 and 2014 respectively. Due to its high efficiency (20,000 times sucrose) which enables use of minute quantities for sweetening, advantame has the advantage of being safe to consume for individuals with phenylketonuria. As such, products sweetened with it are not required to carry a phenylalanine warning label.[15]

Cyclamates

In 1970, the Food and Drug Administration banned cyclamates in the United States based on the results of a study which found that it caused bladder cancer in rats in combination with saccharin. This effect was later revealed to be specific to rodents; neither saccharin nor cyclamate are now considered human carcinogens. Nevertheless, cyclamate remains banned in the US.[1]

Sucralose and acesulfame potassium; "sugar-free" soft drinks

Recently, two other sweeteners have been used with increasing frequency:

Big Red). Diet Rite is the non-aspartame diet soft drink brand with the highest sales today; it uses a combination of sucralose and acesulfame potassium.[citation needed
]

In the US, sucralose and Ace-K received FDA approval for use in soft drinks in 1998.[15]

Advocates say drinks employing these sweeteners have a more natural sugar-like taste than those made just with aspartame, and do not have a strong aftertaste. The newer aspartame-free drinks can also be safely consumed by phenylketonurics, because they do not contain phenylalanine. Critics say the taste is not better, merely different, or note that the long-term health risks of all or certain artificial sweeteners is unclear.[citation needed]

The widespread, though not universal, agreement that the newest formulations taste much more "normal" (sugar-like) than the older diet soft drinks have prompted some producers, such as Jones Soda, to abandon the "diet" label entirely in favor of "sugar-free", implying that the taste is good enough to drink even when not trying to lose weight. (This idea was first floated by Diet Coke in 1984, with the tagline, "Just For the Taste of It.")[citation needed]

In 2005,

Coca-Cola Zero, though it is sweetened with aspartame in conjunction with acesulfame potassium.[citation needed
]

Stevia

Stevia-based sweeteners incorporate steviol glycosides, sweet-tasting compounds produced in the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant.

One study investigated the electrochemical properties of stevia rebaudiana, a herb with potential as a glucose sugar alternative. By using a cyclic voltammetric technique with a nano-sensor modified glassy carbon electrode, the limited safety dose was determined as 0.4 mM (28 mg/mL), where the stevia compound acted as an anti-oxidative sweetener. The study also showed that the electrochemical properties of stevia varied in acidic and alkaline pH, with an oxidative behavior in acidic and an anti-oxidative behavior in alkaline solutions.[16]

Initially launched in Argentina in 2013, Coca-Cola Life is made with a mix of stevia and sugar as its sweeteners. Pepsi has also released a variant of their cola sweetened with stevia and sugar, called Pepsi Next.

Amount of artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks

The table below displays milligrams of sweetener and phosphorus in a 12-ounce (≈355 ml) serving of canned soft drink, as provided by the manufacturers in the US market in 2012. Fountain drinks may contain different sweeteners or different amounts of the same sweeteners.[17][18][19]

Beverage Aspartame (mg) Acesulfame K (mg) Sucralose (mg) Phosphorus (mg)
Diet Coke 188 188
 
 0 0 27 27
 
Coke Zero Sugar 87 87
 
 47 47
 
 0 54 54
 
Diet Pepsi 124 124
 
 32 32
 
 0 33 33
 
Diet Pepsi Lime 125 125
 
 32 32
 
 0 89 89
 
Diet Pepsi Vanilla 125 125
 
 32 32
 
 0 89 89
 
Pepsi Zero Sugar 125 125
 
 32 32
 
 0 42 42
 
Pepsi Next 36 36
 
 18 18
 
 14 14
 
 33 33
 
Diet Dr. Pepper
 185 185
 
 0 0 50 50
 
Diet Mountain Dew 86 86
 
 27 27
 
 27 27
 
 0
Sprite Zero Sugar 75 75
 
 51 51
 
 0 0
Fresca 75 75
 
 51 51
 
 0 0
Barq's Diet Root Beer 99 99
 
 61 61
 
 0 0

Health concerns

Further information: Sugar substitute § Health effects

Many consumers are concerned about possible health effects of

caffeine overuse.[20][21]

Reviews and dietetic professionals have concluded that moderate use of non-nutritive sweeteners as a safe replacement for sugars can help limit energy intake and assist with managing blood glucose and weight.[22][23][24][25]

According to the World Health Organization, aspartame, a sweetener found in diet drinks and other food items, may be a potential cancer-causing agent. However, it is still considered safe to consume in moderation.[26]

Nomenclature

In countries outside of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, the term "light" is often used instead of "diet"; sometimes, even in countries that do not speak English, the word "light" in English is used (e.g., "Coca-Cola Light" in Spain).[27] The formulation of these is slightly different than the "diet"-named versions and thus the taste is slightly different.

Reduced-calorie drinks

In an effort to profit on the surging popularity of

Pepsi Edge, is sweetened with sucralose and corn syrup. The sweetening of the Coca-Cola variant, Coca-Cola C2, is a combination of corn syrup, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Pepsi discontinued Edge in 2005, citing lackluster sales. Coca-Cola soon followed suit. Pepsi then released Pepsi Max
in 2012.

Half of the sugar of a can of regular cola still exceeds the daily sugar allowance of some popular low-carbohydrate diets. It is possible that these soft drinks were targeted to so-called "carb-conscious consumers", who are paying attention to their carbohydrate intake but not trying to drastically reduce it.

Consumption

According to a study by the

energy drinks, sports drinks, and carbonated water.[28]

Regulation

Diet soda is defined in US law as a food of minimal nutritional value.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^
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  2. ^ a b c d e "Benjamin Siegel "Sweet Nothing: The Triumph of Diet Soda", American Heritage, June/July 2006". Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. ^ "What Was the First Diet Soda?". culinarylore.com. 16 February 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  4. S2CID 31923633
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  5. S2CID 8151196
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  6. S2CID 4159061
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  7. ^ "The Tragic History of RC Cola". www.mentalfloss.com. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  8. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d Kowitt B (22 February 2017). "The Hunt for the Perfect Sugar". Fortune. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  10. ^ Chang K (11 June 2012). "Artificial Sweeteners: The Challenges of Tricking the Taste Buds". Well. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  11. ^ a b Stanford D (19 March 2015). "Scientists Are Racing to Build a Better Diet Soda". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  12. PMID 15537898
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  14. PMID 23599216
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  15. ^ a b Clifford J, Maloney K (January 2016). "Sugar and Sweeteners". Coloradu State University Extension. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  16. ISSN 2150-5578
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  17. ^ Franz, Mary MS, RD, LD. Diabetes Self-Management, "AMOUNTS OF SWEETENERS IN POPULAR DIET SODAS" http://static.diabetesselfmanagement.com/pdfs/DSM0310_012.pdf Archived 8 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Official Site for PepsiCo Beverage Information | Find". Pepsicobeveragefacts.com. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  19. S2CID 71666823
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  20. ^ "Coffee Health Risks – Harvard Health Publications". Health.harvard.edu. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Sweetener scrutiny: Are sugar substitutes a helpful tool or an ineffective crutch? - amednews.com". Ama-assn.org. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
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  26. ^ "Soda sweetener aspartame now listed as possible cancer cause. But it's still considered safe". AP News. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  27. ^ "coca cola light – Google Search". Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  28. ^ Fakhouri TH, et al. (2012). Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States 2009–2010. Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
  29. ^ "Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value". www.fns.usda.gov. Appendix B of 7 CFR Part 210. Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
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