NEW YORK -- In addition to putting pressure on carbonated soft drinks as a whole, the consumer backlash against diet sodas has taken its toll in another way: Moving Pepsi Cola back into the No. 2 position among CSDs, ahead of Diet Coke for the first time in five year.
Americans bought less soda for the 10th straight year in 2014, according to reports, with diet sodas shrinking more than their sugary counterparts.
An annual report by the industry tracker Beverage Digest found that overall soda volume slipped 0.9% last year, moderating from the decline of 3% the previous year.
Coke remained by far the most popular soda in the U.S., selling nearly twice as much as No. 2 Pepsi.
John Sicher, publisher of Beverage Digest, attributed the moderation in soda’s decline in 2014 to the continued growth of energy drinks, according to an Associated Press report.
Also, consumers have shown concern with aspartame, the primary sweetener in popular diet sodas, despite the fact it has been declared safe by U.S. health officials.
Despite the ongoing decline of soda volume, the broader U.S. beverage industry performed better than in the previous year with growth of 1.7%, according to Beverage Digest. That increase was driven by an increase in bottled-water and energy-drink sales.
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