TOLUCA, Mexico - Softdrink lovers in North America now have more choices for their sweet fix, without sugar, one of the causes of diabetes.
Coca-Cola Sin Azucar, which literally translates to "no sugar" was launched in this North American country where Coca-Cola FEMSA runs one of its largest manufacturing plants.
The Sin Azucar can looks like a regular Coke can, except for the slim black band around the top lid and a similarly colored tab.
It replaced sugar-free Coke Zero here, and was formulated to taste very much like the regular variant, said Coca-Cola FEMSA corporate communications manager Juan Carlos Cortes.
"Every place is different. We improve the formula," Cortes said, adding the proportions of ingredients for Coke Sin Azucar were different from Coke Zero.
Coke variants are made from water, simple syrup made from water and sugar, sugar substitute or artificial sweeteners, and a secret blend from the company that gives the product its unique taste.
"If you make a switch in one of those products, you need to make sure the brand is going to get accepted," Cortes said.
"So you don't go through the new Coke kind of thing that we saw in the 80s," he said, referring to a reformulation that wasn't received well by some consumers.
In the neighboring US, Coke also launched the 90-calorie Coke Life, which is sweetened using a blend of Sugar and Stevia.
There was no immediate plan to bring Coke Sin Azucar or Coke Life to the Philippines, where sugar-free options include Coke Zero and Coke Light, Cortes said.
"It's a difficult decision to make because the bottlers and the Coca-Cola Company have to get together and determine what they're going to bring in," he said.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
