People concerned about their sugar intake will soon have more options in low-carbohydrate beverages.
PepsiCo, the company who owns Pepsi Cola and other soft drinks, announced last week it has created the first low-carb soft drink.
According to Pepsi spokesperson Dave DeCecco, the low-carb drink, called Pepsi Edge, will debut late this summer. Made with the sweetener substitute Splenda, it will feature half the carbohydrates, sugar and calories of regular Pepsi.
DeCecco said the company has been experimenting with the idea of a low-carb drink because of customer preferences.
DeCecco also said Pepsi wanted to capitalize on the nation’s awareness of carbohydrates evident in the popularity of low-carb diets, such as Atkins and South Beach.
“The nation is now paying a lot of attention to carbs,” DeCecco said.
DeCecco said more than 60 million Americans drink both diet and regular colas. These people are called “dual users.”
He said the number of dual users has increased by 75 percent, creating a large market area for a low-carb cola.
DeCecco also said the introduction of new sugar substitutes has allowed Pepsi to create this low-carb soda.
“The sweetener technology has improved over the past few years,” he said.
Pepsi Edge will follow the path of other low-carb beverages.
In 2002, Anheuser Busch released Michelob Ultra, a beer with only 2.6 grams of carbohydrates per 12-ounce serving. A year later, Labatt USA, which owns Rolling Rock, introduced its version of a low-carb beer called Rock Green Light.
The low-carb beers have become popular, especially among college students.
Joe Walker, a biological sciences sophomore, is a bartender at the Chimes and said the low-carb beers are some of the best-selling beverages.
“Usually on a Friday night, we’ll go through about two cases of Michelob Ultra,” Walker said.
The creation of low-carb beverages parallels the American dietary trend of cutting sugar intake.
Autumn Douglas, a dietician at the Student Health Center, said the introduction of Pepsi Edge could be good from a dietary standpoint.
“As far as Pepsi, I think that’s a good idea because people should cut down on their intake of refined sugar,” Douglas said. “It’s a good alternative for people who do not drink diet soda.”
Because Pepsi Edge is made with Splenda, a sweetener made from sugar, Douglas said the taste should closely mimic that of regular Pepsi.
Other beverage companies also have announced plans to create low-carb drinks. According to press releases, the Adolph Coors Company will introduce a version low-carb Coors beer this summer and the Coca-Cola Company has plans for starting their own low-carb soda.