Food

Coca-Cola is launching a healthy version of Coke and Sprite

The new functional beverage sodas will be rolled out in select states and locations during its initial test stage. ©Image Credit: Coca-Cola

If you love the taste of soda but try to avoid it because of the negative health effects, you may be in luck. Coca-Cola has announced a "healthy version" of Coke and Sprite as it dips its toes into the functional beverage industry.

A beverage with benefits

Diet sodas are a way to enjoy your favorite drink calorie-free, but that doesn't make them a "healthy choice." According to a report from The Ohio State University, Diet sodas contain little to no calories and offer zero nutritional benefit. This is where the functional beverage industry has swooped in and taken a bite out of traditional beverages.

The idea behind functional beverages is that they have health benefits through nutritional ingredients, and that is exactly what Coca-Cola will be delivering to customers with its new Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite Zero Sugar and Fresca with prebiotic fiber.

Product testing begins this month

Right now, the company is calling this launch a "regional test-and-learn" stage. That means they will be gauging customer interest and responses to determine if a full roll-out makes sense.

According to a press release from Coca-Cola, the new drinks will start hitting select store shelves in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York in late October. The drinks will contain zero sugar and six grams of prebiotic fiber.

"For us, innovation starts with the consumer," said Coca-Cola Marketing President Shakir Moin. "It’s about understanding what people are looking for, where their interests are going and then using the strength of our brands to create something relevant and compelling."

Coca-Cola is following the trend

This isn't a case of Coca-Cola blazing a brand new trail; instead, it is hitching its wagon to a very popular trend. PepsiCo already entered the functional beverage space with its Pepsi Prebiotic Cola.

The Pepsi version is only 30 calories, has no artificial sweeteners, 3g of prebiotic fiber and 5g of sugar.

More options for shoppers

What this boils down to is more options for you when you're craving a soda. Sure, it may not be the healthiest option, but with functional ingredients, it's a beverage you don't have to feel bad about grabbing.

Source: TheStreet

Target workers are furious over new uniform rules

Target takes aim at the employee dress code by implementing new rules, and so far it's caused a lot of waves. Many employees are speaking out, saying the new uniform not only looks silly, but also gets in the way of them doing their jobs. Is the dress

Amazon cuts corporate retail jobs right after Prime shopping event

Amazon has barely wrapped up its October Prime Big Deal Days sale, and some employees are already facing an unwelcome post-shopping surprise in the form of layoffs. The e-commerce giant is cutting fewer than 1,000 corporate employees, mainly in its Stores division, which oversees its main shopping

Education Department sued for damaging borrower credit scores

Imagine being told you no longer owe your student loans, only to discover that your credit report still says you do. That’s the problem at the center of a new class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, which allegedly kept reporting certain discharged student loans as

FDA-approved epilepsy drug may help reverse arthritis damage

Osteoarthritis has a frustrating formula. Pain gets worse, cartilage breaks down and eventually the joint can become so damaged that surgery is the only real option. Most treatments can make the pain more manageable, but they don't actually stop the damage. Now, researchers at Yale may have found