Coca-Cola has announced plans to introduce a new lower calorie cola drink as part of a government and industry effort to tackle obesity.
Coca-Cola Life is sweetened by a combination sugar and plant-extract stevia, and comes to the UK after successful trials in Argentina and Chile last year. It will be the first new Coca-Cola launched in the UK since the introduction of Coke Zero in 2006, a low calorie version of their popular drink targeted to men.
Coca-Cola says that the new drink would help it meet its pledges under the UK voluntary anti-obesity drive and will package the drink with a green label to promote its use of the natural stevia sweetener,. However, health campaigners argue that a 330ml can of Coca-Cola Life still contains more than four teaspoons of sugar and at 89 calories is still 65% of the calories of a traditional Coca-Cola, and is in no way “low calorie” or “healthy”.
