- Coke and Pepsi have both introduced new beverages with cane sugar. However, Coke’s product will not replace its existing flagship brand, as Donald Trump implied it would in a social media post. Pepsi’s new product, meanwhile, will include prebiotic fiber.
While The Coca-Cola Company has yet to confirm Donald Trump’s claim that it will begin using cane sugar in place of high fructose corn syrup in its soda beverages, both Coke and Pepsi have announced new products that will use cane sugar for their sweetness.
Pepsi, on Monday, announced the launch of Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, a new product it says has the taste of a traditional Pepsi plus three grams of prebiotic fiber, which can improve digestion and aid gut health.
The new soda will go on sale online this fall and will be available in retail stores early next year. It’s being offered in Pepsi’s original flavor as well as Cherry Vanilla. The drink will have 5 grams of cane sugar and contain just 30 calories.
“Pepsi Prebiotic Cola represents the next leap forward in giving consumers choice, optionality and functional ingredients in their cola experience, without sacrificing the iconic Pepsi taste we’re known for delivering,” Ram Krishnan, CEO of PepsiCo Beverages U.S., said in a statement.
Coke, meanwhile, included an announcement in its second-quarter earnings that it plans to launch a new offering this fall in the U.S. which will contain cane sugar. This will not replace the Coke that’s on shelves now, as Trump’s social-media post implied. (Coke never confirmed Trump’s vow that it would change its flagship drink.)
Instead, this is being framed as an expansion of the “Trademark Coca-Cola product range” that is “designed to complement the company’s strong core portfolio and offer more choices across occasions and preferences.”