26 Jan 2016 UK: Coca-Cola cuts sugar and calorie content of Coca-Cola Life by 12%
The new recipe replaces the first version of Coca-Cola Life – sweetened with a blend of sugar and stevia extract – which was launched in the UK in September 2014. Originally it contained a third less sugar and calories than regular colas, the company said, and a 330ml can of the drink will now deliver just 76 calories and 19g of sugar.
Based on sales from the last year, the move could potentially remove more than 800m calories from Coca-Cola’s products, it said.
The launch of the new version of Coca-Cola Life follows the launch last week of a new global marketing strategy, which will see all variants of Coca-Cola come together under a single brand in a move that aims to drive awareness of the choice available within the Coca-Cola range.
Coca-Cola Great Britain general manager Jon Woods said: “I’m delighted that through extensive research and development we’ve been able to reduce the sugar and calorie content even further without compromising the great taste of Coca-Cola Life.
“We’ve had a really positive reaction from consumers since we launched and it has been encouraging to see how many households have gone on to buy it again after they have tasted it.
“We think it will continue to appeal to consumers who are looking to reduce their sugar and calorie intake but do not want to switch to a sugar-free cola.
“Coca-Cola Life has an important role to play as part of our overall strategy to offer choice and raise awareness of our lower- and no-sugar options.”
He continued: “Investing in reformulation is just one of the actions we are taking to help people reduce their sugar and calorie intake alongside offering smaller pack sizes, putting colour-coded nutrition labels on the front of all our bottles and cans and increasing the marketing investment in our no-sugar colas.”
Since 2012 Coca-Cola Great Britain has invested £15m in reformulation to reduce the sugar and calorie content of its broader portfolio of products, including Sprite, Dr Pepper and Fanta. Sugar levels in soft drinks have fallen during the last four years by 10%, despite a 35% increase in consumption, according to government figures.
The new version of Coca-Cola Life will be available in UK stores from this April.