Tag: Diet soda history

The FDA first approved aspartame for limited use in dry foods in 1981, and Coca-Cola began incorporating the artificial sweetener into Diet Coke in 1983. This change, moving away from the less popular saccharin, marked a significant shift in the diet soda industry.

In a landmark 1969 decision, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the artificial sweetener cyclamate following controversial animal studies. This action definitively answered the question, **what sweetener has been banned?**, and reshaped the diet food industry by removing a widely used ingredient.

Coca-Cola officially began using aspartame as the primary sweetener in Diet Coke in 1983, gradually phasing out its initial use of a saccharin-aspartame blend. This was a significant shift from its original formulation, and the answer to whether or not Diet Coke contains saccharin is more complex than a simple 'yes' or 'no'.