In a bid to offer healthy products to consumers, PepsiCo will now sell it’s fizzy drink with a lowered sugar content in the UK and Ireland. But not all customers are happy. Know their reactions.
PepsiCo and it’s lowered sugar fizzy drinks
PepsiCo has come out with launch of a new range of fizzy drinks. These newer versions of the sugary drinks will have 57% less sugar than before. This slash is more than half. Now 100 g of the drink in bottles and cans will have 4.55 g of sugar. This reformulation will instead have some acesulfame potassium and sucralose to sweeten the drink. Now 330 ml can will contain only 15 g of sugar as against the previous 36 g. And 2 liter bottle will have only 91 g in place of 213 g earlier. And in 500 ml bottle, sugar amount has dropped to 22.75 g from 53.25 g.
PepsiCo (Source: iPleaders)These bottles will reach pubs, stores and restaurants in March but older sugary versions would continue. Pepsi company has reduced the price but final price the retailers would decide. The company’s statement read:
“Our team had been been working to reformulate this product so that it has less sugar but still maintains the great taste people expect.”
“Our recipe change is part of our ongoing work to provide healthy products. We have updated the nutritional labelling on pack and on our website,”
Customers and their reaction
Many were surprised by this change. One person tweeted:
“Regardless of a ‘healthier’ drink. It’s now disgusting.”
Another called it a foul taste. And a third Twitter user asked:
“I just don’t understand the logic… No one was buying classic Pepsi who wanted a low sugar alternative. There will be zero customer demand for this.”
Some were concerned and wrote:
“I’m allergic to sweetener and it totally caught me out today,”
PepsiCo (Source: Microsoft customer stories)Many people have raised concerns in the past about using artificial sweeteners in processed foods. These are chemicals that have the potential to cause problems. There have been no long term studies on them and activists have asked for stoping their use in foods until their safety is concerned.
The warning from Diabetes UK
It may be recalled that many diabetics use these fizzy drinks to abort a hypoglycemic attack. When they feel dizzy due to the low blood sugar, they immediately consume the drink to raise the blood sugar and halt the attack.
Diabetes UK has alerted diabetics to be aware about this new change and the reformulation of their favorite drink. They should know that the same amount of the drink might not be able to help now. They might need a larger amount to lessen the effect of hypoglycemia on the body.
Pepsi drink (Source: Pinterest)Diabetes UK wrote:
“If you use Pepsi as a hypo treatment then it is important to be aware of this change, as you are likely to need a larger volume of the new version to effectively treat your hypo,”
A concerned type 1 diabetic wrote:
“As a T1 diabetic this is equally annoying. When my blood sugar is low, I need something high sugar & quick. I’m running out of options as sugars are lowered & replaced by sweeteners in products.”