Pepsi To Meet Diet Cola Drinkers Halfway With 60-Calorie Pepsi Next

In the never-ending battle to find a drink that will please both the calorie-conscious and those who crave some sugar in their sodas, Pepsi is once again prepped to go the mid-calorie route with something called Pepsi Next.

The brown beverage will have 40 calories per 8-ounce serving, but since no one actually drinks 8-ounce servings, the more relevant number is 60 calories in a 12-ounce can.

It looks like it won’t just be the Pepsi flagship brand that gets the “Next” treatment, as Beverage Digest reports that PepsiCo has applied for trademarks on “Mt. Dew Next” and “Sierra Mist Next.”

If this all seems vaguely familiar, it’s because both Coke and Pepsi have been down the mid-calorie road before with the short-lived C2 and Pepsi Edge, respectively.

Given the recent news that Pepsi has been ousted from its slot as the second-most popular soda by Diet Coke, the company has been attempting various ways to differentiate its products.

PepsiCo has announced its real-sugar Throwback line of drinks is being made permanent, while its Sierra Mist soda got rid of the HFCS in its recipe.

Pepsi preparing to launch mid-calorie pop [Chicago Breaking Business]

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