Diet Coke, also known as Coca-Cola Light or Coca-Cola Light Taste, is a sugar-free and low-calorie diet soda produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It's marketed as a refreshing, fizzy beverage and an everyday hero. It offers the same iconic diet soda experience with a bold citrusy kick. The flavor you’ve been waiting for is back, with a crisp, refreshing taste and a twist of zesty lime flavor in retro limited-edition packaging.
History and Development
Unveiled on July 8, 1982, Diet Coke was the first new brand since the Coca-Cola Company's creation in 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark. When diet colas first entered the market with No-Cal in 1958, the Coca-Cola Company maintained a long-standing policy to use the Coca-Cola name only on its flagship cola. Consequently, its diet cola was named Tab when released in 1963. Rival Pepsi had no such qualms, and after the long-term success of its sugar-free Diet Pepsi (launched in 1964) became clear, Coca-Cola decided to develop a competing sugar-free brand under the Coca-Cola name that could be marketed more easily than Tab.
Following its launch, Diet Coke/Coca-Cola Light became wildly successful and a cultural status symbol to some. In 1992, the product was available in 117 markets worldwide with a unit case volume of 1.25 billion. In the United States, Diet Coke held a market share of 11.7% in 1991, compared to 20.0% for Coca-Cola Classic and 18.4% for Pepsi-Cola.
Ingredients and Nutritional Information
Diet Coke is a cola drink containing artificial sweeteners, primarily aspartame, instead of sugar. Here's a breakdown of the typical ingredients found in Diet Coke:
- Carbonated water
- Caramel color
- Aspartame
- Phosphoric acid
- Potassium benzoate (to protect taste)
- Natural flavors
- Citric acid
- Caffeine
A 7.5 fl oz (225 g) can of Diet Coke contains:
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- Calories: 0
- Fat: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Sugars: 0 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Vitamin C: 0.0 mg
- Iron: 0.00 mg
- Calcium: 0.00 mg
Like Coke Zero, Diet Coke contains the amino acid phenylalanine, so people with phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid it.
Sweeteners
The most commonly distributed version of Diet Coke uses aspartame as a sweetener. Early on, to reduce costs, this was blended with saccharin. After Diet Rite cola advertised its 100 percent use of aspartame, and the manufacturer of NutraSweet warned that the NutraSweet trademark would not be made available to a blend of sweeteners, Coca-Cola switched the formula to 100 percent aspartame. In 2005, under pressure from retailer Walmart (which was impressed with the over-the-counter popularity of Splenda sweetener), the company released a new formulation called "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda". Sucralose and acesulfame potassium replaced aspartame in this version. Diet Coke with Splenda contained 2.83 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce.
Caffeine Content
Other than sweeteners, Diet Coke differs from Coca-Cola by having a higher amount (approximately 33% more) of caffeine. Diet Coke contains 46 mg of caffeine. Caffeine-free Diet Coke is also available.
Marketing and Slogans
Coca-Cola has used various slogans throughout Diet Coke's history to advertise the product, both in the United States and internationally. Coca-Cola used the slogan "Just for the taste of it!" for almost all years between its 1982 launch and at least 1997, and has been accompanied with an iconic jingle. A version of the song was also performed by Elton John and Paula Abdul in an ad at Super Bowl XXIV. A famous advert of the brand was "Diet Coke Break" in 1994 featuring Lucky Vanous, from which point on the brand became targeted primarily at women.
From 2010 to 2014, "Stay Extraordinary" was the main slogan in use. Coca-Cola launched the "You're on" campaign in 2014. However it was soon dropped after it was mocked, due to its unintentional drug reference (cocaine). Later that year, "Get a Taste" was introduced, asking the question "what if life tasted this good?". This campaign lasted until 2018. In 2018, Diet Coke launched the "Because I can." slogan and campaign at the same time as a major rebrand and the addition of new flavors.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Cultural Impact
Diet Coke has had a significant cultural impact, including links with healthiness and wellness but also negative connotations in regards to body image. It has achieved high popularity in certain circles with loyal fans, including in popular culture. Victoria Beckham, Dua Lipa and Bill Clinton are known fans of the drink, and Donald Trump notably has a dedicated button for Diet Coke in his presidential office. The drink has been known to be the choice of "it girls", and has been popular in the fashion scene.
The drink's all-silver can color, which has been in use since 1997, has been considered iconic and a distinctive design.
Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero
Since its inception in 1982, Diet Coke has been the product name in Coca-Cola's home country the United States and a number of other countries. Other countries, such as Germany (then West Germany) have used the Coca-Cola Light name since the beginning. This name is now most common in most of Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia. In many countries including Italy, Mexico and the Netherlands, the product originally launched in 1983-84 under the "Diet Coke" name, but would later switch to the "Coca-Cola Light" name in the early 1990s.
Partly because of marketing reasons, connected to the public perception of the word "diet" and what it stands for, Coca-Cola launched Coca-Cola Zero as another sugarless cola product in 2005.
There isn’t much difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke. You can drink either coke if you want to reduce your sugar intake, as both of them contain artificial sweeteners.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
What differs between the two is the type of sweetener they contain, as well as their caffeine content, although these two differences are still unlikely to be significant to most people. While Diet Coke uses aspartame as its sweetening agent, Coke Zero uses both aspartame and acesulfame potassium, also called “Ace K” or “acesulfame K.” Acesulfame potassium is another calorie-free sweetener that passes through the body without raising blood sugar levels. Coke Zero has less caffeine than Diet Coke. However, both beverages are well below the recommended daily caffeine limit of 400 mg per day for adults.
One debatable difference is the taste of these two drinks. Coke Zero has a slightly different aftertaste than Diet Coke, likely due to its acesulfame potassium. Diet Coke tastes more like regular Coke to many people. However, for some, it’s the reverse. Neither tastes just like the original Coca-Cola. Depending on multiple factors - like whether you get it from a beverage fountain, in a can, or in a bottle - each type may have a slightly different taste.
Nutritionally, there are no significant differences. Their ingredient and caffeine contents are similar as well, so neither is healthier than the other.
Health Considerations
Diet Coke (and rivals like Diet Pepsi) have capitalized on the markets of people who require low sugar regimens, such as diabetics and people concerned with calorie intake.
The most commonly distributed version of Diet Coke uses aspartame as a sweetener. As one of the most intensively scrutinized food additives, the safety of aspartame has been studied since its discovery. Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by the regulatory agencies of many countries. Nevertheless, since its inception the drink has been scrutinised by some with claims that it is harmful in various ways, such as that it can dehydrate and increase food cravings.
For most, not many harmful side effects come from drinking carbonated beverages in moderation. However, caffeine and artificial sweeteners may negatively affect some people, even at moderate intake levels.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends that adults have no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day. If you’re highly sensitive to caffeine, though, you may want to watch your intake of these beverages.
Aspartame may cause headaches for some people, according to the American Migraine Foundation. While this effect may vary, it’s good to know ahead of time so you can connect the dots if you start experiencing headaches after drinking these beverages.
In addition, some research has indicated that aspartame may be carcinogenic. More long-term, high quality human studies are necessary before we can connect aspartame to cancer. A concluded that products containing aspartame are safe to consume by the general population at current levels. However, it may pose certain health risks for certain populations, such as:
- people with seizures
- neurological conditions
- people with phenylketonuria
- people who are pregnant
Those who take a more cautious approach to ingredients in foods may want to avoid aspartame, and that’s OK. However, it’s worth noting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers aspartame safe.
Similar to aspartame, acesulfame potassium has been evaluated for potential carcinogenic effects. Again, however, the evidence is unclear, and more long-term, high quality human studies are necessary.
Flavors and Variations
Diet Coke has been released in several flavors:
- The original variety.
- Caffeine-free Diet Coke.
- Diet Coke with a vanilla flavor.
- A version that was sweetened with Splenda.
- Diet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lime flavors.
- Diet Coke with a Mango flavor.
- Diet Coke with a Blood Orange flavor, similar to Coca-Cola Light Sango.
- Diet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lemon flavors.
Alternatives to Diet Coke
With the conflicting evidence surrounding artificial sweeteners, you may be wondering how you can get your fizzy fix while limiting your artificial sweetener intake. Here are some ideas you can try:
- Flavored waters: Calorie-free flavored waters can be refreshing and hydrating. Consider them as a healthy addition to your fridge or cooler.
- Kombucha: Kombucha is a probiotic-filled beverage that promotes healthy gut bacteria and is naturally fizzy due to the fermentation process. Most kombuchas have less sugar than regular sodas, but compare labels to ensure you’re not overdoing it on added sugars.
- Probiotic sodas: Some brands of probiotic “soda” are similar to kombucha. They’re designed to taste similar to soda but have far less sugar. Their benefits are similar to those of kombucha due to the probiotics.
- Stevia sodas: Several brands of fizzy drinks mimic popular soda flavors and contain no artificial sweeteners. Instead, these sodas use plant-based alternative sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit. They still taste similar to soda but have no sugar or artificial sweeteners.
- Sparkling water: If it’s fizz you’re after rather than the sweetness, sparkling waters may come to your rescue. While they’re not always sweet, they still provide carbonation without any sugar or artificial sweeteners.