Why Russia does not produce its own soda without sugar

Cola becomes “good”, but “tarragon” – no

The sweet life without consequences for the figure for the Russians has become more complicated since the American giants left the soda market. And it turned out that neither Tarkhun, beloved by many, nor the Baikal drink or Pinocchio – Golden Key are produced in the Zero version. That is, no sugar. Or at least light…

Eyewitnesses claim that the “light” cola without sugar was the first to be swept off the shelves. However, market experts urge not to despair. Like, and Western companies are not far gone. Wait a bit – the release of the new “Good Cola” is about to begin. And there will be the same recipe, and the Zero option too. And it also became known that the Ochakovo plant was in a hurry, promptly replenished the assortment with such “talking” drinks as CoolCola, Street and Fansy. But, be that as it may, it is still not clear why there is no healthy lifestyle-antidiabetes option in sodas beloved by generations. Where is our dietary “Duchess” or “Barberry” or, at least, light “Cream-soda” …

– The remains of products of Western companies on store shelves are now coming to an end and will be replaced by other products, – says Andrey Karpov, President of the Russian Association of Retail Market Experts. – Whether there will be an option without sugar is still difficult to say. But after all, Zero cola is a marketing ploy, it still contains some amount of sugar. Such marketing strategies arise where there is a public demand. Fashion for ecology, a healthy lifestyle, sports, etc. Our people have also become interested in this, and transnational companies, which always remain in trend, have satisfied this request. Our companies, which occupied a small market share, did not have to seriously compete with them. They focused on producing those goods that consumers were willing to buy. For example, such a manufacturer as Chernogolovka. The well-known “Tarhun”, “Duchess”, “Baikal” are drinks that are absolutely understandable for the consumer and they have their own niche. If now the domestic company finds the strength to restructure itself and take a leadership position in this market, it means that it will also start producing drinks that are in demand in the healthy lifestyle category.

The sugar substitute used in mass-produced beverages is called aspartame. This chemically synthesized sweetener has been produced in Russia since the 1990s (NutriSvit). But for all this time, aspartame-based drinks began to be produced only by three not-so-hyped brands of domestic drinks. And not soda, but beer.

There are also stevia-based sweeteners – stevia, stevia-crystal, etc. But these natural sugar substitutes are more expensive and are usually used in “light” or “diet” versions of drinks. About 15 years ago, a rumor spread among Moscow fashionable lifestyles that transcorporations for the sake of their soda would soon buy up the entire market of natural stevia (it is mainly grown in Latin America). Like, for them it is cheaper than sugar and more profitable, you have to stock up. Huge bags of stevia have not been used up by many until now. After all, stevia is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and one pinch of powder is needed per cup. Drinks with stevia are sold in stores and pharmacies, they are usually more expensive than those made with a chemical sweetener. Often stevia is used along with sugar or fructose in order to preserve the taste, pure stevia is slightly bitter, but at the same time reduces calories.

– Yes, all this is true, – says a dietitian, endocrinologist Irina Sabirova. – And more than that – in terms of chemical composition, stevia is almost like aspartame, only of natural origin. There is no shortage of stevia even now. And not only drinks, but also confectionery, ice cream are produced on this sweetener. As well as on the “chemical” aspratame. Why not Tarragon? Well, I suspect that the technology and SanPins need to be seriously changed, from sugar to stevia or aspartame.

But what I know for sure is that Zero cola really does not contain sugar. It is recommended by the notorious Michel Dukan as part of his carbohydrate-free diet. It really is all on aspartame, like 90% of such drinks produced in the world. And there are really almost no calories in 100 grams of the drink. For my part, I don’t recommend zero-calorie soda for anyone trying to lose weight. Because even a small amount of liquid with bubbles still stretches the stomach. Citric acid increases acidity and causes appetite. On the other hand, there are more than 5 million people in Russia with already diagnosed insulin-type diabetes mellitus. And an even larger percentage of the population is “on the verge” of having metabolic syndrome. Therefore, if you are already used to drinking soda, it is better to let it be Zero.