really? I need to take a trip to Atlanta! I wanna try it!

Eh, I already add cane sugar to my pop in the form of Captain Morgans.

@jaydez: Or, you could wait until April 8, 2009, then head to the grocery stores in the nearest Jewish area. Look for 2-liter bottles with yellow caps.

"The labels do not comply with Food and Drug Administration or PepsiCo standards for the United States and the product could deteriorate during shipping." Seems like a good reason to not allow them to sell it. Especially the whole non-compliance with the FDA bit.

OMG, LOL I can understand certain liability issues due to the packaging and formulation. But It should nto go as far as a law suit, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co should have realized that there would be niche markets here in the US for things like this. Plus any profits are still going to the Pepsi Company. Peopel will never learn

@rekoil: Correction: white caps for Pepsi, yellow caps for Coca-Cola.

[www.seriouseats.com]

I totally understand why the distributors chose to sell illegal Mexican soft drinks. They taste so much better! I just got back from a trip to Mexico, where I enjoyed many 30 cent soft drinks. I won't drink them here though, just not the same. I guess there is some sort of agreement between people who sell high fructose syrup and people who sell soft drinks here.

I think the real question here is "How did the Mexican Pepsi get into the United States?" Mexican Pepsi is lucky it's just getting sued. It could be getting deported. Maybe that's American Pepsi's next move...to call the ICE. Everyone knows Pepsi and ICE go hand-in-hand.

@qwerty017:
so I wonder if Mexico is going to take umbrage to this little tidbit from the article:

PepsiCo standards for the United States and the product could deteriorate during shipping.

@drkkgt: Probably not. People from different cultures have different tastes. Also, the fact that it deteriorates during shipping is nothing new as it probably takes longer to be bought from the time its made than if it didn't need to be shipped to the us.

"I love you, Pepsi."

[www.geocities.com]

I love passover Coca-cola. Also my local Asian market regularly carries coke made with sucrose (cane or beet sugar). It is bottled here in Ohio, for the latin and asian markets.

Yeah, I don't see what the big deal is. I live in Georgia and I've bought Mexican Coca-Cola a couple times. Also, if it's your distributor, why can't you just send them a letter? or a harsh phone call? A law suit?

@Cameron Leggett:

They do, at least in Ohio they bottle for Asian and Latin markets here.

The Mexican markets here in Minnesota sell Mexican Pepsi and Coke... why is this suddenly a problem in Atlanta?

I like this: "...the Mexican government has adopted policies that have encouraged the use of cane sugar in Mexico".

It should read "...the US government has adopted policies that have encouraged the use of HFCS in the United States".

The last time in was in Mpls. after Passover I loaded up on 2 liters of yellow cap Coke. The checker at Byerly's thought I was a bit odd.
I would pay quite a bit more to buy cane sugar Coke all year long. I wish they would just introduce it as some "new" product already.

Here in southern MN, they have Mexican Coca-Cola (with stick-on nutritional labels, etc.). It is expensive - about that of energy drinks, but tastes so much better than the corny stuff the factories here output.

Given that I rarely drink any soft-drink (unsweetened tea, or coffee when eating out), when I do I would rather treat myself to something real.

Note that around passover, the "kosher" colas contain cane sugar instead as well.

(I'd like to say things like "Mexicoke!", but it might be mistaken for the abbreviated overactive ingredient).

Another good reason not to drink that sh*t (HFCS water)! The makes-you-fat part was enough for me to quit.

@qwerty017:

Yes, corn syrup is used for every damn thing in the US because of US tastes, we all just like it better than cane sugar. That is the reason.

@Pasketti:

Radical communist policies like not subsidizing corn.

Shouldn't this sort of thing be up to consumers to determine?

If Corp X makes Product Y and inferior Product Z, and consumers want Product Y, who is Corp X to say consumers can't have Y?

The lawsuit asys the distributor..."committed fraud and engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices "

Fraud against whom? Who was deceived?

Surely the consumers who CHOSE to buy the product weren't defrauded or deceived.

I don't understand the lawsuit? Here in Phoenix it is really easy to find Mexican colas with cane sugar.

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't there research that suggested a link between the high consumption of HFCS in the United States and the dramatic increase in cases of adult diabetes? It seems were FAR fewer cases of diabetes prior to about the 1960's, when HFCS and other artificial sweeteners came onto the scene. Suddenly it is so prevalent there is a whole "diabetes industry" built around supplying diabetics with their medical needs... and I think we may have HFCS to thank for that.

@JessiesMind: Was going to say the same thing...

Trademark Dilution for those that do not understand the lawsuit. It confuses the consumers as to the product and ultimately harms the good will.

Nevertheless, it is probably more likely that peoples subjective tastes will like the sugar more than the HFCS.

Hey, I can dream, I liked Pepsi as a kid before it went HFCS. I just never got used to HFCS products, they leave a nasty bitter taste in my mouth and just do not taste as good as real sugar.

pepsi should cut the crap, cuz this is dumb. the whle thing here is that real pepsi from mexico ahd coke has real sugar in it as opposed to the HFCS which is like the worst thing u can possibly consume, and trying to get anything that doesnt have it is both rare and super expensive so this is just a forcefull way to not evne give us a choice and they are coming up with the stupidest reasons to sue them. the only thing u have to worry about is glass bottles being chipped or whatever, REALLY COKE? what hell? did ur company not put out glass bottles like 10 years ago. hmmm well also that whole labeling thing well they put contains the word "or" on the surgar section to cover their ass. oh and another tip, wipe off the top of the bottle after u cap off cuz the cap leaves some black stuff thats not really noticeble till u wipe it off before u drink it. i think its just really retarded and i hope they continue to distribute their drinks. what are they gonna do next go after all the import juices,

Someone should sue Pepsi for lowering their 12 packs of cans to 8 cans for roughly the same price.

As much a fan as I am of Coke, Pepsi isn't so bad and the taste only improves when sugar is used instead of corn leavings.

I visit Costa Rica a few times a year. Sodas in CR are also sweetened with cane sugar. Tastes like sodas in my youth of the 50's and 60's. I always look forward to those sodas when visiting.

@maztec: I dont know if they can pull trademark dilution on this one. Mexican Pepsi is PEPSI. Its their own trademark. The difference is one has cane sugar the other has HFCS but all the Atlanta people have to say is Pepsi imports the stuff to the US for Passover (since thats what they do, they dont change the line here in the US but just send a Rabbi to Mexico) and their argument is completely voided.

The FDA arguments pretty much bunk since the FDA have to press a lawsuit about that against them.

@maztec: I don't follow. How is it trademark dilution? The soda is manufactured by or licensed to be manufactured by Pepsi.

This is not like someone crating a knockoff product like PepeSi cola.

The only real issue I see is the nutrition labels.

@TechnoDestructo: unfortunately it's not the reason at all. everything (literally) is made from corn in this country for a much bigger reason. with a gi-normous corporation like monsanto convincing farmers to use their genetically modified genes, we have a HUGE surplus of corn. this seed allows farmers to grow more corn than ever before in history. we use it for everything! there are even commercials trying to convince people that highly processed corn is just as safe as pure sugar.

the corn syrup commercial:

check out kingcorn.net
they have a great film about what we do with our corn

@seamer: I also buy lots of sugary coke from the local sources *cough*costco*cough*

sounds to me like pepsi (like most corporations in this company) have a sweet deal with the corn refiners association

@maztec:

Yes, they are also not as fulfilling as ones with cane sugar. They know this themselves, helps you consume more so they can sell more.

@damitaimee: You missed my favorite one where the wife/GF is quizzing the guy why he doesn't want her popsicle. I swear he's going to say "B/c it makes you fat", and get decked by her.

@damitaimee:

You forgot the subsidies. (And isn't there an import quota on sugar to go along with that?) Whoofreetrade!

@damitaimee: I see what you did there.

FWIW, you can still buy the Original Dr Pepper cane sugar formula from the plant in Dublin, Texas--and they'll even ship it to you.

[www.dublindrpepper.com]

The main point of the lawsuit was for Coca Cola to gain some publicity.

Keep in mind that Coca Cola's World Headquarters is in...you guessed it, Atlanta GA, USA.

What PepsiCo's really upset at is they sell it much cheaper in Mexico, at Mexican food safety standards (is it radioactive? No? Okay).

So when someone then brings it into the US and resells it they lose money, and they also might be embarrassed if it turns out the product is adulterated with deadly poison (like Corona got into the bottling line), but I'm sure the former is the real reason.

meh...who gives a rat's .... about pepsi.

I'll just wait and get me some Passover Coke.

@qwerty017: Odd. I recall a usual-looking label on the Mexican Coke I like to buy at the liquor store up the street. Maybe it's not or maybe it is and Coke turns a blind eye.

All in all, it's super, super tasty.

@TechnoDestructo:

We don't like it better! You need to read some Michael Pollan. The only reason we have corn sweetener is because the US government subsidizes it.

We demand a choice. I'm positive that the "deterioration during shipping" is false propaganda from the corn lobby.

Cane sugar is great, but I would like to see more growth of sugar beets in the US.

@doctor_cos:
YES!~

no corn in passover coke!

You can get cain sugar soda in the states that is not imported from other countries.

Jones sells a cain sugar cola in 12 packs of cans just to name one.

Check out your local bevmo, they typically carry a wide range of indie soda that tastes worlds better than the major brands.

i heart virgils rootbeer in a keg!

I live in Los Angeles and the markets here stock the mexican coke and pepsi along with the Jarritos brand from mexico, all with real sugar. Noticeable taste difference in taste.

@TechnoDestructo: I thought the irony in your post was pretty clear myself, but I guess not everybody else agreed.