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Pepsi Will Use Stevia To Sweeten New Sobe Life Drink

Within the next few weeks, Pepsi plans to introduce an enhanced water drink with a sweetener that is derived from a promising but controversial herb called stevia. The SoBe Life drink will be rolled out in several Latin American markets, starting in Peru, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the U.S.

Coca-Cola, meanwhile, has teamed with Cargill to market its own stevia-based sweetener in its beverages. It plans to introduce a soft drink with the new sweetener in a few U.S. markets before year's end, according to a person familiar with the company's plans.

There is no guarantee that what Pepsi and Coke say tastes great in the lab will work with consumers. The hoopla around the new sweeteners -- Pepsi calls its version PureVia; Coke and Cargill use the name Truvia -- may deflate. Stevia is known for a licorice-like aftertaste, and while the new purified version is much better, it still bears an aftertaste, says Loren Miles, CEO of Natur Research Ingredients, a company promoting a competing sweetener made from brazzein, a West African fruit.

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