Since its introduction in 2000, Splenda has practically become
a "staple" in many households. Appearing in everything
from ice cream to candy bars to jams, this no-calorie artificial
sweetener (made from suclarose) will soon be joining forces with
two of the largest soft drink distributors: Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda is scheduled to debut this spring,
and will be branded with the name of the sweetener as well as a
distinct yellow streak. Despite its new addition, however, Coca-Cola
will continue selling its traditional Diet Coke, flavored with aspartame.
Other changes/additions Coca-Cola has made to Diet Coke--in order
to boost sales in North America--include the introduction of new
flavors, such as:
- Lime
- Lemon
- Cherry
- Vanilla
Similarly, PepsiCo has made plans to reformulate its single-calorie
drink, Pepsi One, with Splenda, while Diet Pepsi is sweetened with
aspartame.
More on Splenda
Splenda is sold by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Nutritionals
as a table and baking sugar substitute. Manufacturing of this artificial
sweetener involves selectively replacing three hydrogen-oxygen groups
on the original sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms. It is
600 times sweeter than sucrose, or white table sugar.
USA
Today February 7, 2005
|