PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, N.Y., is exploring the addition of “tea” to its very popular lower-calorie Trop50 beverage line. The new product concepts in test market include Peach with White Tea, Pear Lychee with White Tea and Raspberry with Green Tea. All three new concepts claim to contain 50% less sugar and calories than juice blends. The beverages rely on a stevia-based sweetener, which allows for a “no artificial sweetener” claim.
At the recent Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, Calif., I was amazed by how many companies promoted new products on the basis of not containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).