Coca-Cola U-turns over Stevia sweetener in Vitaminwater after social media backlash
Coca-Cola US is to revert to its original recipe for its Vitaminwater brand after receiving a barrage of complaints from consumers after Stevia sweetener was added to the drink earlier this year.
Until May, the drinks brand’s full-calorie Vitaminwater contained a blend of cane sugar and crystalline fructose, while the new formula mixed cane sugar with stevia, a plant extract seen as a healthier option.
However, disgruntled fans took to social media to express their anger at the change in recipe, which led to Coca-Cola making a swift U-turn to its original recipe. In a post on the Vitaminwater website, the brand said: “The fans have spoken. We’re changing back to the taste you know and love.
“We tinkered with the taste of Vitaminwater. And our fans haven’t had the greatest things to say about it. So we’re changing back to the taste you know and love. We tip our bottle caps to you, Vitaminwater drinkers. Like many good things, this process will take some time but we'll move as quickly as we can.”
Coca-Cola added that the first producton run will begin in August with the original product available across the US by winter.
Vitaminwater Zero will continue to be sweetened with Stevia.
The drinks giant, which introduced Stevia sweetened Vitaminwater to the UK at the end of 2012, is increasingly looking to shake of its unhealthy image with the addition of naturally sweetened, lower calorie drinks, such as the new Coke Life brand.