Diet Coke’s artificial sweeteners have been under fire and an executive with Coke said that sales of the drink have plummeted. He believes that consumers are questioning the safety of artificial sweeteners.
Steve Cahillane, president of Coca-Cola Americas, said that Diet Coke, along with other diet products, “are under a bit of pressure as people are questioning ingredients (and) ingredient safety,” USA Today reported.
“There are headwinds that we’re facing,” Cahillane added. “This is just one of them.”
He added that the beverage giant believes"very strongly in the future of Diet Coke.” The diet soda is second-place behind regular Coca-Cola in terms of sales.
Coca-Cola, which is based in Atlanta, said that it will stick with aspartame as Diet Coke’s sweetener, reported 11 Alive.
But the firm will likely introduce new sweeteners, including stevia, which is natural.
The Food and Drug Administration says aspartame may be safely used in foods as a sweetener, and the American Cancer Society has said that most studies using people have found that aspartame is not linked to an increased risk of cancer.
For example, sales volume for Coke fell 1 percent, while Diet Coke fell 3 percent. Pepsi fell 3.4 percent, while Diet Pepsi fell 6.2 percent.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
