Pepsi Max
Pepsi Max is a low-calorie, sugar-free cola, marketed by PepsiCo as an alternative to regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi / Pepsi Light.
History
Pepsi Max debuted in Great Britain and Italy in April of 1993. The rollout was expanded to Ireland the following September, and to France, the Netherlands and Australia the following December. By the end of 1994, Pepsi Max was sold in approximately twenty countries. By the end of 1995, that figure had more than doubled.
The product remained unavailable in the United States (PepsiCo's native market, and the largest consumer of carbonated soft drinks), where one of its principle ingredients had not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The ingredient in question — acesulfame potassium — is combined with aspartame to provide the beverage's sweetness. Some people claim that this results in a better taste than that of other diet colas (most of which are sweetened with aspartame alone).
In early 2005, Pepsi Max Twist (with added lemon-lime flavour) was introduced.
Pepsi ONE
On June 30, 1998, acesulfame potassium finally received FDA approval. PepsiCo responded within one hour, announcing the introduction of Pepsi ONE (which reached store shelves the following October). This new variety contained the same sweeteners as Pepsi Max, but not an identical formula or flavour. Interestingly enough, "Pepsi ONE" was among the twelve brand names that were considered and rejected when creating Pepsi Max.
In early 2005, Pepsi ONE was revised, with Splenda brand sucralose replacing the aspartame ingredient.
Canada's Pepsi Max
Beginning in early 1994, an entirely different "Pepsi Max" was marketed in Canada. Now regarded as a precursor to Pepsi Edge, it was sweetened with a combination of aspartame and high fructose corn syrup (sugar). As a result, it contained 2/3 fewer calories than full-sugar colas (including regular Pepsi), but more calories than conventional diet/light colas (or the version of Pepsi Max sold elsewhere). The Canadian product was discontinued in 2002.