Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a zero-calorie carbonated soft drink marketed as a sugar-free alternative to regular Coke, using artificial sweeteners including aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose. It aligns with ICMR 2024 guidelines on free sugars (<25g/day) since it contains **0g sugars**, but raises concerns over long-term effects of intense sweeteners per WHO classifications as conditional avoid.
Why this verdict
Red flags present. Best treated as an avoid-for-regular-use product unless the underlying evidence changes.
The issue is frequency: the red flags make this a poor default, even if rare use carries lower practical concern.
This card is the decision shortcut. The detailed evidence and citations live in the six-axis cards below.
Meets the GREEN threshold because the product reports 0g sugars (and effectively 0g added sugar) per serving, which is below the ≥5g/100ml RED cut-off for liquids. Evidence is based on the brand’s product page nutrition/positioning indicating zero sugar.
Meets the RED threshold because it is NOVA Group 4 (ultra-processed) (carbonated soft drink with additives like colour E150d, multiple intense sweeteners, acids, flavourings/caffeine, and preservative), and it also fails another axis (Marketing deception = yellow; Regulatory history = yellow). This matches the rule: NOVA 4 AND fails any other axis.
Meets the GREEN threshold because it has 0g total fat and no oils/fats are listed in ingredients, so there is no evidence of partially hydrogenated oils or meaningful saturated/trans fat. As a clear carbonated beverage, fat-related risk factors are not present in the provided nutrition/ingredients.
Meets the GREEN threshold for liquids because sodium is about 12mg/100ml (~40mg per 330ml), which is well below the YELLOW threshold of 150–300mg/100ml and far below the RED threshold of ≥300mg/100ml. This is taken from the provided per-100ml sodium value in the research.
Meets the YELLOW threshold because while the 'zero sugar' framing is consistent with the stated 0g sugars, the product relies on intense sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose), and the research notes WHO flags these as not conferring health benefits. No specific ASCI/FSSAI ruling is provided in the sources.
Meets the YELLOW threshold due to a reported ongoing aluminium shortage impacting Diet Coke availability/pricing, indicating an unresolved supply disruption rather than a clean record backed by formal regulatory documentation. No recalls/bans/court orders are cited in the provided sources, so RED is not triggered.
Per 100 g
| Energy (per 100ml) | 1.6 kJ / 0.4 kcal ⚑ **Zero calories** effectively; negligible energy from additives. |
| Fat (per 100ml) | 0g ⚑ No fats present. |
| Carbohydrates (per 100ml) | 0g ⚑ **0g sugars**; zero carbs. |
| Protein (per 100ml) | 0g ⚑ No protein. |
| Sodium (per 100ml) | 12mg ⚑ Low sodium content. |
As declared on pack
Carbonated Water, Colour (Caramel E150d), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose), Acids (Phosphoric Acid, Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Flavourings (including Caffeine), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Sweetener (Sucralose)
Submit a back-of-pack label image
Got a clear photo of the nutrition panel or ingredients list? Submit it and we'll run OCR, update the page, and credit you. An admin reviews each submission before it goes live.
- October 2024Diet Coke shortage hits India due to aluminium supply crunch from West Asia conflict [Source ↗]YouTube (Industry Report) · [1]
- October 2024Retail stock-outs of Diet Coke reported in major Indian cities [Source ↗]YouTube (Industry Report) · [1]
- November 2024Diet Coke single-format packaging risk exposed by shortage [Source ↗]Packnode · [2]
Sources of truth
- [1]Diet Coke shortage hits India due to aluminium supply crunch from West Asia conflictYouTube (Industry Report)
"A growing aluminium shortage is starting to hit India's beverage market, with Diet Coke prices likely to rise by ₹10 per can amid a widening supply crunch."
- [2]Diet Coke single-format packaging risk exposed by shortagePacknode
"India’s Diet Coke shortage shows how dependence on aluminium cans can expose beverage brands to packaging supply shocks, material disruption and wider logistics risks."