Deit Cola and Aspercreame

18 June 1998

Triac’s Diet RC Pushes ‘No Aspartame’

Vanessa O’Connell, Author

Wall Street Journal, Marketing and Media, Section B10

What is the article about?

This article contains information on the use of sucralose as a sugar based sweetener in the Diet RC soft drink. Sucralose replaces the popular, yet controversial sweetener aspartame.

On an annual basis, American consumers drink millions of cases of soft drinks. Based on the information contained in the article, the anticipated effects that sucralose will have on American consumers and the diet beverage industry will be discussed.

Who will be affected by the use of Sucralose?

Diet Soft drinks are consumed by Americans from all age groups. For a number of years, aspartame has been used as a low calorie sweetener.

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Its use has not been without controversy.

There are many consumer advocates who have fought against the use of aspartame in foods and beverages.

The Center of Disease Control have conducted a number of

experimental tests on the use of aspartame in animals. Following these tests, there was evidence of cases of reporting detrimental neurological side effects on these animals. Specifically, brain lesions in the rats were found.

This article discusses how sucralose will have a positive health effect on the American consumer. Besides the health benefits, the article states that sucralose doesn’t degenerate and lose its sweetening punch as fast as aspartame. It has been said that sucralose keeps its sugar-like taste in beverages longer than any other low-calorie sweetener. Internationally since 1991, millions of consumers have used sucralose in reduced sugar products such as carbonated soft drinks, jams, and baked goods.

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While searching the World Wide Web (WWW), I found that sucralose was discovered in London in 1976 at Queen

Elizabeth College.

In April of 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its use in the...