In a major shake-up, PepsiCo UK and Ireland has reformulated the classic beverage Pepsi, which will now have 57 per cent less sugar. The international soft drinks conglomerate has confirmed that their classic Pepsi range will have 4.55g of sugar per 100 ml compared to over 10g it had before.
In addition to a lower amount of sugar, the “reformulated” Pepsi is sweetened with a blend of acesulfame potassium and sucralose, with 56 per cent fewer calories from added sugars, PepsiCo said in an official statement.
It further added that the new recipe will replace all canned and bottled classic Pepsi drinks across the UK and Ireland, with the reformulated Pepsi beverages hitting retailers this month. These products will have updated nutritional information on the packaging disclosing the reduced sugar content.
These efforts form part of pep+, PepsiCo’s transformation plan to drive positive action for people and the planet, the company said.
“As part of this plan, we are making changes to improve the nutritional profile of our snacks and beverages, building on nearly two decades of work prioritising low or no-sugar drinks in the UK and Ireland,” it added.
The company claimed that today, over 90 per cent of the colas it sells in the UK and Ireland are sugar-free versions.
Meanwhile, for the time being, the classic Pepsi fountains used at out-of-home locations, such as pubs and quick-service restaurants, will continue to serve the original product, with 10.65g of sugar per 100ml.
“Making changes to bottled and canned Pepsi is simpler than rolling out a new formulation across multiple outlets but this is something we are keeping under review,” PepsiCo mentioned.
The company also pointed that the formulations of Diet Pepsi and Pepsi MAX have remain changed.
It must be noted that there will be no impact on the Indian market as of now, which will continue to sell the existing product.
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