ATLANTA & PURCHASE, N.Y.-- Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have both developed new sweeteners made from stevia, which has just received "no-objection" status from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The beverage companies have also both launched products sweetened with their own versions of stevia, Truvia for Coca-Cola and PureVia for PepsiCo.
Atlanta-based Coca-Cola North America has launched Sprite Green, the new reduced-calorie Sprite line extension sweetened with its Truvia natural sweetener. Truvia was developed jointly by Cargill and The Coca-Cola Co. It is [image-nocss] a zero-calorie natural sweetener that uses rebiana, which comes from the stevia leaf. Harvested at the peak of sweetness, stevia leaves are dried and steeped in water, much like tea.
Sprite Green is naturally sweetened with Truvia brand sweetener and has 50 calories per 8.5-oz. serving and 5% lemon juice. It will be launched in two U.S. cities this month in 8.5-oz. aluminum bottles. Initial availability will be limited to teen and young adult-oriented locations and events with a broader rollout planned for early 2009.
The FDA has issued a letter of no objection to Cargill indicating that the agency, on the basis of the scientific data provided by Cargill, as well as other information available to the agency, has no questions regarding the conclusion that rebiana is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) under the intended conditions of use.
Coca-Cola's Odwalla Inc. has rolled out two new reduced-calorie juice drinks with Truvia this month: Odwalla Mojito Mambo natural juice drink with vitamins C and E and Odwalla Pomegranate Strawberry natural juice drink from concentrate with vitamins C and E. They are sweetened with a combination of Truvia, organic evaporated cane juice and fruit juices, Odwalla Mojito Mambo and Odwalla Pomegranate Strawberry have 50 calories per 8-oz. serving.
Odwalla Mojito Mambo and Odwalla Pomegranate Strawberry will be available in 450 mL (15.2 fl. oz.) grab-n-go recyclable plastic bottles at a suggested retail price of $3.29.
Separately, Merisant Co. subsidiary Whole Earth Sweetener Co. LLC and PepsiCo said that the FDA has issued a no-objection letter on Rebaudioside A (Reb A), the stevia extract used in PureVia, the companies' all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener. This clearance makes possible the launch of PureVia tabletop sweetener, zero-calorie SoBe Lifewater and Trop50, Tropicana's new light orange juice product.
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo will launch SoBe Lifewater in three flavors: Black and Blue Berry, Fuji Apple Pear and Yumberry Pomegranate. Tropicana will introduce Trop50, a light orange juice product with 50% less sugar and calories in March.
And Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., Plano, Texas, said on Thursday it expects to announce the launch of low-calorie drinks made with a natural sweetener in the coming weeks, added a Reuters report.
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