Mountain Dew, Pepsi Now with Real Sugar

[modeps]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/throwback.jpg

Ever wondered what Mountain Dew and Pepsi used to taste like before it had high fructose corn syrup? Soon, you'll be able to find out! According to Beverage Industry Magazine (courtesy of The Consumerist (http://consumerist.com/5155721/attn-hfcs-haters-get-ready-for-sugar+sweetened-pepsi-throwback)), both soft drinks will be getting a sugar version come this April.

According to Beverage Industry Magazine, Pepsi will be launching "Pepsi Throwback" and "Mountain Dew Throwback," both of which contain sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. The logos, seen above, were found through a search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Electronic Search System by BevReview.com, which reports that the trademarks were filed on January 9, 2009.

Now you can get your drink on while gaming, and keep it real with properly digestible sweeteners.

[Virtuoso]

Great. I wonder how much extra it will cost.

[modeps]

Great. I wonder how much extra it will cost.

Hopefully not much... I'd be willing to pay a bit of a premium. Not that I drink a ton of soda as it is, but I'm down with losing the HFCS.

[shpankey]

wow, this is huge if true. soda made with sugar tastes infinitely better than high fructose corn syrup. i'll probably buy tons of it just to put back just in case they stop selling it.

[Evil Avatar]

Bah. Bring on the Splenda! If it is good enough for labratory rats, it is good enough for me.

(It tastes like Sugar because its made from Sugar!)

[Alexious]

Yes, yes, YES! I actually go to Costco and buy cases of Coke from Mexico because it's made with sugar. Tastes WAY better IMHO.

This should last until the price of corn drop significantly. Last year, the rumors were all the soda companies were going to switch to sugar because corn syrup was rapidly rising in cost and becoming comparable to sugar.

[Mr.Green]

Slow news day eh? ;)

[Dracula-X]

Probably because high fructose corn syrup has been found to have various levels of mercury in it, and this has been gaining more and more media attention. Mercury has a number of terrible effects and is a neuro toxin. No good will come of consuming that shit and it will only serve to make you sick, slow and stupid in the long run.

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury (Washington Post) (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html)

[Dracula-X]

Bah. Bring on the Splenda! If it is good enough for labratory rats, it is good enough for me.

(It tastes like Sugar because its made from Sugar!)

I trust you enjoy cancer then :)

[Roc Ingersol]

Great. I wonder how much extra it will cost.
"Both products will be offered at the same price as regular Pepsi and regular Mountain Dew."
Only available April 20th - June 13th.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/02/pepsi-to-use-real-sugar-in-pepsi-throwback-mountain-dew-april.html

[ElfShotTheFood]

I trust you enjoy cancer then :)

Only when other people get it.

[Virtuoso]

wow, this is huge if true. soda made with sugar tastes infinitely better than high fructose corn syrup. i'll probably buy tons of it just to put back just in case they stop selling it.

Really? I can't tell the difference.

I can however tell the difference between sugar and Splenda (which takes like garbage to me, but I have really sensitive taste buds).

[Virtuoso]

Yes, yes, YES! I actually go to Costco and buy cases of Coke from Mexico because it's made with sugar. Tastes WAY better IMHO.

This should last until the price of corn drop significantly. Last year, the rumors were all the soda companies were going to switch to sugar because corn syrup was rapidly rising in cost and becoming comparable to sugar.

I doubt the price of corn will drop much. Corn ethanol is still huge business.

[Virtuoso]

Probably because high fructose corn syrup has been found to have various levels of mercury in it, and this has been gaining more and more media attention. Mercury has a number of terrible effects and is a neuro toxin. No good will come of consuming that shit and it will only serve to make you sick, slow and stupid in the long run.

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury (Washington Post) (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html)

Did you even read the whole article? The mercury came from reagents that the companies haven't used for years. Moreover, the levels of mercury were never mentioned, and I would be willing to bet that the levels are significantly lower than what you find in a can of tuna.

I bet that you are the type that believes there is a link between MMR and autism; no matter how much evidence shows you how wrong you are, you feebly cling to your beliefs because admitting you are wrong is more painful to you than everyone thinking you are an idiot.

[Roc Ingersol]

Probably because high fructose corn syrup has been found to have various levels of mercury in it, and this has been gaining more and more media attention.Note the study found mercury at levels far lower than what the government deems 'safe' for drinking water.

Sure, you don't want any Mercury you can avoid, as it doesn't get processed by the body and accumulates over time. But the mercury in HFCS isn't something to worry about in and of itself.

That said, the Corn Refiner's Association can take a flying leap.

[modeps]

The ad campaigns are terrible for the Corn Refiners Assn. Both people come off sounding like complete douchebags.

EEbRxTOyGf0

[Virtuoso]

The ad campaigns are terrible for the Corn Refiners Assn. Both people come off sounding like complete douchebags.


Agreed. The campaigns are awful, although to be frank, often the people that hate on HFCS know absolutely nothing of the science behind it.

Yes, drinking 12 cans of soda a day is bad for you, and maybe the HFCS makes it marginally worse, but it is not the HFCS that is the primary cause of the problems.

[Apushmataha]

Hopefully not much... I'd be willing to pay a bit of a premium. Not that I drink a ton of soda as it is, but I'm down with losing the HFCS.

I drink soda pretty rarely, but I buy Jones specifically for the reason it's made with cane sugar. As long as the real sugar Pepsi isn't "8 12 oz cans for $3.50" expensive, I'll be more than happy to spend a little more than what it costs now with HCFS.

[Virtuoso]

Also, for the record, the study that Dracula-X pointed to was not peer-reviewed. This is the first clue that the study is garbage.

[Dracula-X]

Did you even read the whole article? The mercury came from reagents that the companies haven't used for years.
I did. And some companies still DO. Did YOU read the article?
However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use "mercury-cell" technology that can lead to contamination.

Moreover, the levels of mercury were never mentioned, and I would be willing to bet that the levels are significantly lower than what you find in a can of tuna.
They do tend to be much lower than the methyl mercury you'll find in tuna. But kids don't eat tuna every day. They often do drink soda and eat lots of sweets made with HFCS every day.

I bet that you are the type that believes there is a link between MMR and autism; no matter how much evidence shows you how wrong you are, you feebly cling to your beliefs because admitting you are wrong is more painful to you than everyone thinking you are an idiot.
Erm, this is the part where I laugh at you now.

[Ulysses]

Never understood what was wrong with using sugar in the first place, heh.

[Virtuoso]

They do tend to be much lower than the methyl mercury you'll find in tuna. But kids don't eat tuna every day. They often do drink soda and eat lots of sweets made with HFCS every day.

Soda is not meant to be drank every day. Is bad parenting somehow the fault of these companies now?


Erm, this is the part where I laugh at you now.

Are you saying that there is a link? Because if so, you are clearly delusional.

[Dracula-X]

Note the study found mercury at levels far lower than what the government deems 'safe' for drinking water.

Sure, you don't want any Mercury you can avoid, as it doesn't get processed by the body and accumulates over time. But the mercury in HFCS isn't something to worry about in and of itself.

That said, the Corn Refiner's Association can take a flying leap.

Sure, totally agreed. My only contention is the frequency of consumption of products that may have HFCS/mercury can be much higher among kids who will drink tons of soda and consume tons of candy daily. It can't be good.

[Virtuoso]

Never understood what was wrong with using sugar in the first place, heh.

HFCS is (was?) much cheaper.

[Virtuoso]

Sure, totally agreed. My only contention is the frequency of consumption of products that may have HFCS/mercury can be much higher among kids who will drink tons of soda and consume tons of candy daily. It can't be good.

Kids that eat McDonalds every day will be fat. Is this the fault of McDonalds? No, its the fault of the parents who choose not to regulate their children's diets.

If the levels are lower than drinking water, then they are more than likely fine. Hell, arguably, the kids would be better off drinking only the soda, as they would be exposed to less mercury.

[Dracula-X]

Soda is not meant to be drank every day. Is bad parenting somehow the fault of these companies now?
Proper parenting is of upmost importance, that goes without saying. Regardless, that doesn't absolve companies of spreading poison in products.

Are you saying that there is a link? Because if so, you are clearly delusional.
I never said that there was or wasn't a link. I'm laughing at you because you're going off on a tangent looking to start some shit.

[Virtuoso]

Proper parenting is of upmost importance, that goes without saying. Regardless, that doesn't absolve companies of spreading poison in products.


I never said that there was or wasn't a link. I'm laughing at you because you're going off on a tangent looking to start some shit.

I wasn't going off on a tangent, I was making an analogy. I also was not trying to "start some shit", rather, I was expressing a viewpoint contrary to your own.

[AversionFX]

I still miss Pepsi Clear. :(

[shadow763]

So will the use of sugar cause my teeth to rot quicker?

[Dracula-X]

I wasn't going off on a tangent, I was making an analogy. I also was not trying to "start some shit", rather, I was expressing a viewpoint contrary to your own.

Riiiiiiight. You are trying to start some shit. The discussion is about mercury in HFCS, not MMR and autism of which I expressed no viewpoint to contradict.

[Virtuoso]

Riiiiiiight. You are trying to start some shit. The discussion is about mercury in HFCS, not MMR and autism of which I expressed no viewpoint to contradict.

My argument was that a) more than likely the report is wrong and b) even if it is right the effects would be minimal at best. You disagree in spite of the available evidence. My comment was that you will cling to your belief even when it is demonstrable that you are wrong. How is this not analogous?

[Pluvious]

I've got a secret for you guys. Stop drinking any Soda for a week and watch how much weight you loss. Doesn't matter if it's diet or regular. You'd be amazed. Good ol water is worth your attention. :)

[Syl]

Yes, yes, YES! I actually go to Costco and buy cases of Coke from Mexico because it's made with sugar. Tastes WAY better IMHO.
Exactly what I was thinking. That, and the Jones Soda logo

"Syrup is for pancakes, Sugar is for soda!"

[Dracula-X]

My argument was that a) more than likely the report is wrong and
You mean the two studies the report cites? Ok, I guess you're right!

b) even if it is right the effects would be minimal at best.
You've convinced me!

You disagree in spite of the available evidence.
The evidence suggests that mercury can be found in products with HFCS. The evidence suggests that HFCS consumption, particularly in products such as sodas and candies, is very high (I see fat fuckers everwhere I go, so I know they're eating and drinking this stuff.) While the levels of mercury in HFCS may be minute, the range of products it can be found in is prevailing. Someone drinking a contaminated can of soda will obviously not kill them. But drinking a few cans a day for several years and consuming additional products with this stuff may have compounding, adverse effects - there is NO evidence to dispute this. We've got enough problems with obesity and diseases like diabetes to sit there and be an apologist for companies that elect to poison their products, which in my opinion is criminal.

My comment was that you will cling to your belief even when it is demonstrable that you are wrong. How is this not analogous?
Amusingly, you haven't demonstrated shit except a desperate willingness to cling on to this autism tangent to prove: nothing. *shrug*

[PsychoticVile]

Kids that eat McDonalds every day will be fat.

That is a false statement obesity has a lot more to do with metabolism, heridity & lack of exercise than any food you eat. I know a woman in her late 30's that eats nothing but fast food and candy all day and weighs only 110 pounds. She only weighs that much because she quit smoking almost a year ago she was between 100 & 105 then.

Is McDonald's good for probably not but does having a cheeseburger & fries there mean you are going to be fat? No.

[Virtuoso]

That is a false statement obesity has a lot more to do with metabolism, heridity & lack of exercise than any food you eat. I know a woman in her late 30's that eats nothing but fast food and candy all day and weighs only 110 pounds. She only weighs that much because she quit smoking almost a year ago she was between 100 & 105 then.

Is McDonald's good for probably not but does having a cheeseburger & fries there mean you are going to be fat? No.

I suppose what I meant is "kids who eat McDonalds every day are MORE LIKELY to be fat".

Also, heredity may keep thin people thin, but McDonalds will often make normal people fat.

[Virtuoso]

Buncha stuff

1) The studies cited did not and will not appear in any peer reviewed journals, therefore the results are at best suspect.

2) Potentially harmful effects from products that are not used as intended should not be the fault of the manufacturer. People should know that drinking 4 cans a day of soda is not good for them, but if they persist to do so then that should be (at least partially) their.

Note: I am not trying to be an apologist here, but instead trying present a rational alternative to the alarmism you get out of anti-HFCS advocates.

[Virtuoso]

Also, I am not saying putting poison in drinks is not bad. However, if there is less mercury than there is in drinking water, it would seem that drinking soda may actually be better for you (mercury wise) than drinking the water in some areas of the US.

[yutt]

This just in: High Fructose Corn Syrup is sugar - conspiracy theorist terrified by chemical sounding names, yet easily fooled by cheap marketing ploy.

More at 11.

Just think, this new Pepsi will be High Sucrose Carbonated Dihydrogen Monoxide! Start prepping your new crazed conspiracy rants and campaigns.

[walkstheplanes]

This just in: High Fructose Corn Syrup is sugar - conspiracy theorist terrified by chemical sounding names, yet easily fooled by cheap marketing ploy.

More at 11.

Just think, this new Pepsi will be High Sucrose Carbonated Dihydrogen Monoxide! Start prepping your new crazed conspiracy rants and campaigns.

Dihydrogen monoxide kills! Surely, words with several syllables entail substances that are bad for us!

[lost]

All soft drinks are made with sugar over here. When I get my smuggled MD I don't think I'd want it tampered with.

UK Pepsi is great, gives you a major sugar buzz.

[Roc Ingersol]

HFCS is (was?) much cheaper.Is. Because of the sugar tariffs.
Our farm handouts are almost as shameful as the billions in 'incentives' we give to oil companies.

While I'm at it: corn-based ethanol is also a sham. it's only slightly less absurd, scientifically speaking, than the hydrogen economy.

It just doesn't work.

Kids that eat McDonalds every day will be fat. Is this the fault of McDonalds?What if they're knowingly pushing an known-unhealthy additive, simply because people respond to it better in taste tests or because it stays fresh on the shelf longer, lowering their costs?
People forget that the moron who spilled coffee on herself successfully sued McDonalds not because the hot coffee was hot, but because McDonalds knew the hot coffee was really fucking hot and a burn hazard, but didn't care because the hotter coffee didn't go stale as quickly and kept their costs down.

[LilAbner]

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Virtuoso]

What if they're knowingly pushing an known-unhealthy additive, simply because people respond to it better in taste tests or because it stays fresh on the shelf longer, lowering their costs?
People forget that the moron who spilled coffee on herself successfully sued McDonalds not because the hot coffee was hot, but because McDonalds knew the hot coffee was really fucking hot and a burn hazard, but didn't care because the hotter coffee didn't go stale as quickly and kept their costs down.

They do, its called fat. If you eat too much of it you will die over time.

I just don't see any semi-conclusive proof that HFCS is any worse for you than sugar in the same doses.

[Ulysses]

Hm I thought people's problem with HFCS is that your body doesn't metabolize it as well as sugar.

[PsychoticVile]

Actually if you want to blame something for the rise in obesity blame the digital age. McDonald's, HFCS and many of the other things blamed for America's weight problem have been around for 40-50 even 80 years. It's the lack of physical activity from people sitting at their desks all day working or browsing the internet and playing video games or texting or talking on their cell phone. It's parents who get games like Dodgeball or Football banned or tell their kids "Why don't you go watch Sponge Bob instead of taking them outside and playing".

There is a direct correlation between the rise in obesity and the increase in technology. 100 years from now it'll probably like the movie Wall-E we will all weigh 400 pounds and get around in hover chairs. :)

[lockwoodx]

Great. I wonder how much extra it will cost.

Who knows, but the reason they are doing this is to hide the fact corn costs a hell of a lot more than sugar right now due to plastics, and bio fuels.

[Dag-Sabot]

That video that modeps posted sadly didn't turn into some hot (and sweet) girl on girl action...

[TazzFTW]

Slow news day eh? ;)

I scanned the whole article looking for a mention of some type of XBLA tie-in like their Doritos brand did, but nada. Did I miss someting?

[TheBot]

Slow news day eh? ;)

My thoughts exactly, lol.

I'd like to taste this though. I enjoy Jones Soda which uses cane sugar, so I'm looking forward to something not all named something weird.

[Zecon]

I've got a secret for you guys. Stop drinking any Soda for a week and watch how much weight you loss. Doesn't matter if it's diet or regular. You'd be amazed. Good ol water is worth your attention. :)
QFT
I went from drinking 40 oz of mountain dew,dr. pepper, coke, or pepsi a day to none and i dropped 25 lbs almost instantly.

[yutt]

UK Pepsi is great, gives you a major sugar buzz.
There is no such thing is a "sugar buzz". It is a myth.

*sigh*

HFCS 55 (which is what is used in soft drinks), has roughly the same amount of fructose and glucose as sucrose ("real sugar"). HFCS is 55% fructose, 45% glucose. Sucrose is 50% fructose, 50% glucose once metabolized.

They're chemically the same thing, but since one comes from corn, and another comes from beets and cane, somehow that makes HFCS evil. Hell if I know. People are crazy and love to find something to rage against.

Corn grows in a wider range of climates than sugar cane, and has far, far more uses. There is no vast conspiracy. It's simply more sensible economically to grow a plant with many uses and that is native to the region than something that is impossible to grow and is only useful for making processed sugar.

OBVIOUSLY

Both HFCS and sucrose will eventually cause blood-sugar diseases if you consume them too frequently. Stop pretending one is good and the other is bad. They are both tasty and both will poison you and destroy your body if abused.

I really get tired of trying to educate ignorant, willful conspiracy theorists about this, when they can easily look all of this up in peer reviewed sources themselves. We all must bear our burdens.

[Ulysses]

Actually sugar cane has more uses than just making sugar, I know they make ethanol, various rums with it, and a byproduct of the refining process can be burnt for power and some other things I can't recall at the moment - wiki says they can use it for cardboard, etc.. Grew up near a sugar refinery, so that's some useless info for tonight.

[Chimpbot]

People forget that the moron who spilled coffee on herself successfully sued McDonalds not because the hot coffee was hot, but because McDonalds knew the hot coffee was really fucking hot and a burn hazard, but didn't care because the hotter coffee didn't go stale as quickly and kept their costs down.

To be fair, the temperature they served their coffee at had absolutely nothing to do with keeping it fresh and everything to do with corporate studies and surveys which showed that most people who purchased coffee did so via the drive-thru and that they typically let the coffee sit for a number of minutes before consuming it; this period of waiting allowed the coffee to cool to a more normal, yet still hot temperature. People typically like hot coffee, so they would keep it hotter than normal to allow for the "waiting period" between purchase and consumption.

Besides, coffee is a shitty example; it's dirt cheap when sold by the cup. Gas stations and places like McDonald's charge people a buck or two for a few pennies worth of coffee. When you look at an average can of coffee, it'll run you roughly $5. This can will produce roughly 50 to 100 cups of coffee. Now, charge $1 for each cup. I'll let you do the math. One would only need to sell and handful of cups out of one pot to make back the cost of the coffee; this is why they can easily afford to dump out older pots and make fresh ones frequently throughout the day. It doesn't really cost them all that much.

[DeadRegime]

Really? I can't tell the difference.

I can however tell the difference between sugar and Splenda (which takes like garbage to me, but I have really sensitive taste buds).

You can't taste the difference between HFCS and sugar, but your "really sensitive" buds can pick up the subtle nuances between sugar and Splenda?

And yeah, that subtle nuances thing was sarcasm. Just in case...

[Roc Ingersol]

They do, its called fat. If you eat too much of it you will die over time.Nice tautology. ;p
You'll die if you eat too much of anything. That's why we call it too much. Though, while some kinds of fat are bad for you, some are clearly not. Many fat substitutes have been shown to be categorically worse than the fats they replaced.

And I'm not making the "HFCS is bad" argument. I'm just pointing out that in many ways, our society left 'caveat emptor' behind a while ago. Simply saying "it's up to people to be responsible for what they eat" isn't sufficient.

[Chimpbot]

QFT
I went from drinking 40 oz of mountain dew,dr. pepper, coke, or pepsi a day to none and i dropped 25 lbs almost instantly.

If I did that, I'd drop down to an unhealthy weight. Drinking soda is part of my regularly balanced diet!

I should probably cut back some, though; there's probably too much sugar in my diet and I do get a gross "heavy" feeling after drinking soda. It's probably all of the mercury, which I'm afraid is beginning to affect my sanity. I mean, these dancing rabbits just won't shut the hell up.

CHANGE PLACES!

[Butters66]

Soda is not meant to be drank every day. Is bad parenting somehow the fault of these companies now?


Soda, like Whiskey and Vodka, is most definitely meant to be consumed at least once a day.

[Virtuoso]

Nice tautology. ;p
You'll die if you eat too much of anything. That's why we call it too much. Though, while some kinds of fat are bad for you, some are clearly not. Many fat substitutes have been shown to be categorically worse than the fats they replaced.

And I'm not making the "HFCS is bad" argument. I'm just pointing out that in many ways, our society left 'caveat emptor' behind a while ago. Simply saying "it's up to people to be responsible for what they eat" isn't sufficient.

I don't think that anyone has proved that HFCS in moderation is any more dangerous for you than sugar. If you consume too much of it, it can be harmful, and that is a point I would not argue.

[dr_wily]

I do it for the flavor.. the mexican coke at costco tastes a lot different. I like HFCS coke and sugar coke for different reasons.

flavor is all about the mix. steinfoot reminded me of all the different "flavors" of coke:

the mercury thing is interesting though.. i would find this change more akin to the trans fat reduction in foods lately. Sort of a craze where products responded with a different recipe for some to turn to, while keeping the original to contrast with.

I'll pick up a bottle of mtn dew when i see it, cant do pepsi.

[dr_wily]

no edit button.. i meant to add the different flavors of coke:

-mcDs coke (their fountain mix is usually the best)
-canned coke
-mexi coke
-2liter coke

[walkstheplanes]

Is. Because of the sugar tariffs.
Our farm handouts are almost as shameful as the billions in 'incentives' we give to oil companies.

While I'm at it: corn-based ethanol is also a sham. it's only slightly less absurd, scientifically speaking, than the hydrogen economy.

It just doesn't work.

True that. Corn is an incredibly inefficient crop (ethanol from corn is "cheap" because the government subsidizes corn growers so damn much).

[Virtuoso]

You can't taste the difference between HFCS and sugar, but your "really sensitive" buds can pick up the subtle nuances between sugar and Splenda?

And yeah, that subtle nuances thing was sarcasm. Just in case...

Really? I always thought that the difference was imagined because people are uppity about HFCS. A difference of 5% in distribution of fructose vs. sucrose would more than likely not be noticed by many, and I would posit that any difference is taste is simply placebo effect.

Easy way to test this, get regular coke and this new stuff and do a blind taste test with 100 or more participants. I would be willing to bet that more than likely few would be able to a) tell the difference or b) say the like the sugar version more often.

[Dag-Sabot]

This thread has just reinforced my determination to not allow my kids soft drinks 'till they're 16 or so. Just like my folks did to me if only for the sake of the dentists' bills.

[DeadRegime]

Really? I always thought that the difference was imagined because people are uppity about HFCS. A difference of 5% in distribution of fructose vs. sucrose would more than likely not be noticed by many, and I would posit that any difference is taste is simply placebo effect.

Easy way to test this, get regular coke and this new stuff and do a blind taste test with 100 or more participants. I would be willing to bet that more than likely few would be able to a) tell the difference or b) say the like the sugar version more often.

But then I'd be educated and informed. I'd much rather just be a smart ass.

[raymeswh]

I just don't see any semi-conclusive proof that HFCS is any worse for you than sugar in the same doses.

Please see the article below, from Dr. John Berardi

Fructose Wars (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/fructose_wars)

also from Cassandra Forsythe, PhD(c), CSCS, CISSN

The Evils of Fructose (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/the_evils_of_fructose)

those should get you started