The terrible reality about our diets is that we all know by now that soda isn’t healthy for us. According to ABC12, although ordinary soda sales have been down in recent years, “zero sugar” soft drink sales have been increasing. “diet” is no longer a popular marketing slogan. Despite the widespread acceptance of diet sodas as a viable substitute for regular sodas, certain brands have been phased out and won’t be returning any time soon. Others were highly popular at the time, but they didn’t last, while some were predictable failures, like Diet Jolt Cola. The following are nine types of diet soda that will never be available again since they were phased out. As an added bonus, here are 6 people who, according to medical experts, should never touch diet soda.
1.Tab
Beverage Daily reports that in 2020, die-hard fans of Coca-TaB Cola’s diet soda will experience what may be the industry’s largest loss: the brand’s last update. TaB had been a staple of the soft drink market since its introduction in 1963, but declining sales eventually forced Coca-Cola to stop producing it.
2. Morning Diet Pepsi
Diet Pepsi introduced a diet soda called Pepsi A.M. in the ’80s. Products tasted identical to ordinary Pepsi, but included 25% more caffeine. Considering the current market for energy drinks, this product may have been ahead of its time.
3. Pepsi Crystal a diet soda
Crystal Clear Coke and Crystal Pepsi had such high expectations. Not to mention the 1992 introduction of Diet Crystal Pepsi. The Crystal brand of sodas were ubiquitous in the 1990s, but, unlike fluorescent crop tops and chunky hoops, Crystal Diet Pepsi is not making a return. Ever.
4. Click Clear Tab
After the success of Crystal Pepsi, Coca-Cola developed Tab Clear to compete. Actually, Tab Clear was planned to fail and take Crystal Pepsi down with it, as stated in this article published on Mental Floss. Whatever the case may have been, Tab Clear followed the fate of Crystal Pepsi and is no longer available. While Pepsi spent 18 months developing Crystal Pepsi, Coca-clear Cola’s diet soda venture only took two months.
5. Pepsi Lights
In 1975, a lemon-flavored, saccharine-sweetened drink hit the market. The sugary taste, it is said, was masked by the lemon flavor. In the 1980s, production ceased.
6. Extra Diet Coke
According to Scientific American, the Coca-Cola Company marketed Diet Coke Plus (or Coca-Cola Light Plus in certain international countries) as a nutritious alternative to regular soda by highlighting the beverage’s vitamin and antioxidant content. In actuality, there was no discernible difference between this and the unprocessed option, and it failed.
7. Hubba Bubba Diet Soda
Diet bubble gum flavored drink didn’t take off for obvious reasons. And if you’ve ever tasted a sugary bubble gum-flavored beverage, you know that it eventually loses its luster, too. Parentology claims that Hubba Bubba beverages appeared in the 1980s (both regular and diet varieties) and disappeared shortly afterwards.
8. The Best Gold Cans of Diet 7UP
Sugar-free and spicier than regular 7UP, 7UP Gold also included a healthy dose of caffeine. Even though it tasted like an old-fashioned spiced ginger ale, this 1980s relic was even less successful than the sweeter version of 7UP Gold. A can of Diet 7UP Gold now fetches well over $200 on an online auction site. Also, that’s a can with no contents.
9. Caffeine-Free Cola Jolt
For many years, Jolt Cola had devoted fandom. This liquid energy source was available before energy drinks were trendy, and it contains twice as much caffeine as regular cola. Need your coffee, but not your sugar? If so, you should switch to Diet Jolt Cola. or a cup of coffee. And nowadays, it’s best to stick with coffee or an energy drink, since Brand Informers reports that Jolt is no longer offered at all, after making a short comeback in 2017.
10. Lime Diet Coke
Diet Coke Lime, in the opinion of many consumers, was an exceptionally excellent beverage, but it was failing to meet sales targets. According to BuzzFeed, Coca-Cola quietly stopped making and shipping the drink in 2018 in an effort to avoid negative publicity. Some fast food establishments include soft drink kiosks where you may make your own Diet Coke Lime.
11. Zero-calorie Super Nova Mountain Dew
Diet-oriented Mountain Dew advertisements named “FanDEWmonium” debuted in 2010. Diet Super Nova, Diet Voltage, and Diet Crave are just a few of the eight diet varieties that may be sampled at various stops along the tour. Fans then cast ballots to choose which soft drinks would be sold. Diet Super Nova, flavored like strawberry and melon, beat out Diet Voltage. It was available for purchase for a total of 12 weeks before being taken off the market due to lack of demand.
12. Pepsi Max and Smooth Jazz
Jazz with Black Cherry and French Vanilla, Jazz with Strawberries and Cream, and Jazz with Caramel Cream were just a few of the outlandish Pepsi Jazz flavors. A typical Pepsi cola flavor was meant to blend together with the Black Cherry and French Vanilla flavor for a unified experience.