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Health claims of Coke Life disputed

The carbonated caramel colored pop was launched in Argentina and Chile in 2013 and then went global. Coke Life is only the fourth drink to be launched under the Coke brand in 128 years. The drink is marketed at health-conscious consumers. The claim from Coca-Cola is that the drink contains 35 percent less sugar compared with the original Coke drink, and also fewer calories.

Coca-Cola also claim that the calorie / kilojoule energy levels are lower than standard Coca-Cola due to the presence of a plant extract called stevia. Stevia is used as a sugar substitute. The chemical is extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. The U.S. banned stevia in the early 1990s, due to health concerns. The Coca-Cola argument is based on a 2011 review which found that the use of stevia sweeteners as replacements for sugar might benefit diabetic patients because it is a non-caloric additive. The review was published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition (“Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) a bio-sweetener: a review.”)

Despite the health claims, some health experts state that the drink still has high sugar content. The main argument from health campaigner is that cutting the amount of sugar to only 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 600ml bottle has little impact in terms of a healthy lifestyle. This argument comes from a group called Obesity Policy Coalition.

Quoted by the Faculty of Food Safety and Quality, Jane Martin, as spokesperson for the Obesity Policy Coalition said: “There is no commitment to stopping the promotion of the full sugar brands, the business is still basically the same, and what we’d like to see is a cutback of promotions, particularly through sport, and remove it from schools.”

In essence, Martin indicates, there is no real difference between Coke Life and standard Coca-Cola when it comes down to weight-control.

However, Geoff Parker, chief executive of industry group the Australian Beverages Council, has countered by stating that in the Sydney Morning Herald that Coca-Cola are responding to consumer demands for greater and healthier options and that Coke Life is a product that can help consumers in this way.

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Written By

Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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