'Diet Pepsi' is a
low-
calorie carbonated cola, introduced in 1964 as a variant of
Pepsi-Cola with no sugar. Its current formula in the United States contains only the artificial sweetener
aspartame, but the current Canadian formulation contains both aspartame (124mg/355ml) and
acesulfame potassium (32mg/355ml). Pepsi does not list on its United States labeling the exact amount of aspartame/Nutrasweet present.
In some countries, Diet Pepsi is known as 'Pepsi Light'. This is not to be confused with an earlier
U.S. product of the
same name which was essentially 1970s Diet Pepsi with lemon flavoring.
Although Diet Pepsi contains
caffeine, another version is available without caffeine. Additional variations of Diet Pepsi have been introduced over the years, wherein other flavors (such as
wild cherry,
vanilla,
lemon, and
lime) have been added to the cola; their availability and brand identification vary by country.
Diet Pepsi's current slogan is "Light.Crisp.Refreshing."
Test Marketing
Diet Pepsi was first introduced as
Patio Diet Cola in
1963. After the drink received positive reviews, it was re-introduced as Diet Pepsi in
1964.
[1]
Marketing
In the
United States Diet Pepsi is marketed as calorie-free, as
FDA guidelines allow products with less than five calories per serving to be labeled as containing zero calories
[2].
All forms of Diet Pepsi have been included in all of the
Pepsi Stuff marketing programs in which consumers collect
Pepsi Points to redeem for free merchandise.
PepsiCo also markets low-calorie colas known as
Pepsi Max and
Pepsi ONE.
Diet Pepsi in popular culture
In 1985, immediately following
Super Bowl XIX, the game's respective quarterbacks,
Joe Montana and
Dan Marino, meet in a hallway of what appears to be a football stadium. Montana of the winning team, buys Marino a Diet Pepsi, and Marino promises to buy the drink the next year.
During the early-1990s, blues singer
Ray Charles was featured in a series of Diet Pepsi ads featuring the jingle, "
You Got the Right One, Baby" followed by "Uh huh!".
In the United States a Diet Pepsi commercial features a Diet Pepsi Machine (simply called Machine) being drafted into the
NFL by the 3-time Super Bowl champion
New England Patriots. The machine cannot be tackled because of its size compared to the human players, therefore leading to many
touchdown catches as a
wide receiver. In a recent commercial, Machine now plays for the
New Orleans Saints, competing with running back
Reggie Bush. Other commercials feature Diet Pepsi (the can) as an entertainer, represented by "agent"
Jay Mohr, in a music video produced by
Diddy ("Brown and Bubbly"), and an action film featuring
Jackie Chan (Diet Pepsi is replaced by a "stunt double", a rival
Diet Coke can, which is squashed by the villains). Diet Pepsi (the can) has also been portrayed as a great poker player winning hand after hand against Poker Champs Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Scotty Nguyen.
A futuristic diet Pepsi bottle can be seen in the background of the Cafe '80s in
Back to the Future Part II.
Health concerns
Main articles: Aspartame controversy
Diet Pepsi contains the artificial sweetener
aspartame, which has been linked to cancer
[1] in laboratory rats. Aspartame has also been shown to cause
brain tumors,
brain lesions, and
lymphoma[2]. One of the chemicals produced by aspartame after ingestion is
methanol, which can be unhealthy under certain conditions.
However, there are considerable arguments against the factuality and administration of proper testing conditions for the experiments that have concluded health risks.
As of 2007, there is no clear cut conclusion on the dangers of aspartame exposure.
Ingredients
★
Carbonated water
★
Caramel Color
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Aspartame
★
Phosphoric acid
★
Potassium benzoate (preserves freshness)
★
Caffeine
★
Citric acid
★
Natural flavors
See also
★
List of Pepsi types
★
Cola wars
References
1. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/28/health/webmd/main712605.shtml
2. http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8711/8711.pdf
External links
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PepsiCo
★
Pepsi
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Diet Pepsi