Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar facts for kids
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Bottles of Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar
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| Owner | PepsiCo |
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Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar is a popular soft drink made by PepsiCo. It was first known as Pepsi Throwback. This drink is special because it uses real cane sugar and beet sugar for its sweetness. Most other soft drinks in North America started using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in the 1980s because it was cheaper.
In June 2014, the name changed from Pepsi Throwback to Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar. It still does not use high fructose corn syrup. In April 2020, the drink got a new logo. The "throwback" idea was also used for Mountain Dew, another drink from PepsiCo.
Contents
Why Real Sugar?
The Switch to Corn Syrup
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the price of sugar in the United States started to go up. This happened because of special government rules called tariffs. Because sugar became more expensive, companies that made soft drinks looked for a cheaper way to sweeten their products.
They found a good alternative in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). By the mid-1980s, almost all big soft drink brands in North America switched to HFCS. Even Coca-Cola eventually made the change. However, in most other countries around the world, soft drinks still use real sugar instead of HFCS.
Bringing Back the Old Taste
In early 2009, PepsiCo decided to try something new. They announced plans to release special versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew. These drinks would use pure cane sugar as their main sweetener. They would also not have citric acid, which is usually found in regular Pepsi.
The first batch of these drinks came out in April 2009 and sold very well. Because people liked them so much, PepsiCo released a second limited edition from December 2009 to February 2010.
A third batch was released on July 31, 2010, for another five weeks. People kept buying these "throwback" drinks. So, in October 2010, Pepsi decided to keep making them as long as customers wanted them. A fourth batch appeared in stores in late December 2010. This time, the packaging did not say "limited edition."
Permanent Product and New Name
In January 2011, Pepsi Throwback started appearing in Canada. It was sold in 12-packs of cans and bottles. It was stopped in Canada in March 2011 but came back in October 2012.
On March 11, 2011, PepsiCo made a big announcement. Both Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback would become permanent drinks. This meant they would always be available.
In 2014, Pepsi Throwback changed its name in most places. It became "Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar." This new product has a little less sodium and sugar than the old Pepsi Throwback. For example, a 20 fl oz (591 mL) bottle went from 260 calories to 250 calories.
How It Looks
The very first Pepsi Throwback cans had a classic look. They used the Pepsi-Cola writing style from the 1940s in royal blue on a navy blue background. The word "throwback" was written in a more modern style. For the second release in December 2009, Pepsi used an exact copy of its logo from 1973 to 1987.
When the name changed to "Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar," the packaging changed too. The new label uses the current blue background and Pepsi globe. But instead of the small "pepsi" text, it has the old "Pepsi-Cola" writing style from the 1940s. Below that, there is a banner that says "Made with Real Sugar."
What's Inside?
This table shows how Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar compares to regular Pepsi and the old Pepsi Throwback.
| Pepsi | Pepsi Throwback | Pepsi-Cola Made with Real Sugar |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Serving | 12 fl oz (355 mL) | 12 fl oz (355 mL) | 12 fl oz (355 mL) |
| Calories | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Sodium | 30 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg |
| Potassium | 10 mg | 0 mg | 10 mg |
| Phosphorus | 53 mg | 60 mg | 60 mg |
| Total Carb. | 41 g | 40 g | 40 g |
| Sugars | 41 g | 40 g | 40 g |
| Caffeine | 38 mg | 38 mg | 38 mg |
| Ingredients | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sugar, Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor | Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine, Natural Flavor | Carbonated Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine, Natural Flavor |
Other Drinks with Real Sugar
Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola
When Pepsi Throwback came out, other companies also started making drinks with real sugar. Dr Pepper began selling "Heritage Dr Pepper" in November 2009. For a while, sugar-sweetened Dr Pepper was only available from one bottling plant in Texas.
It's rare for Coca-Cola and Pepsi to do the same thing, especially during the "Cola Wars" where they compete a lot. But as of late 2012, Coca-Cola did not plan to regularly sell a sugar-sweetened version of its main Coca-Cola drink.
The only times Coca-Cola is sold with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup are for special occasions. For example, Kosher Coca-Cola is sold for the Jewish holiday of Passover. Also, Mexican Coke is imported into the United States and uses sugar. The last time regular Coca-Cola was sold with sugar in the U.S. was in 1985, just before New Coke was introduced.
However, there were two exceptions starting in 2007. Coca-Cola bottlers in Cleveland, Ohio, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, started using sugar as a sweetener all year round for Coca-Cola. This made them the only places where sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola was sold throughout the year.
7UP Retro
In 2011, Dr Pepper Snapple Group announced 7UP Retro. This was a sugar-sweetened version of 7UP. It was available for a limited time. This drink was a direct competitor to Mountain Dew Throwback. However, 7UP Retro stopped being made later that year, while Mountain Dew Throwback continued. Mexican 7UP, which is sent to the United States, still uses sugar.
