According to the FDA, foods should contain at least 10% more nutriments than a similar product in order to have the “Plus” label. More than that, regulators added that Diet Coke Plus violates another rule, as it is generally considered inappropriate for manufacturers to fortify snack foods.

 

It seems that regulators decided to take a more aggressive approach in the carbonated beverage market, as there are many companies release products which are claimed to nutrient-enhanced.

 

The FDA requested an answer from Coca-Cola within 15 days of the receipt of the letter and it has also prompted the beverage company to take urgent measures to “correct these violations.” However, a Coke representative reported that the company will reply in early January, but that the company is not planning to change the label of their product.

 

Diet Coke Plus is a calorie-free soft drink that was launched by Coca-Cola in March 2007. In a press release, the company stated that the product is “a good source” of zinc, magnesium and of vitamins B3, B6 and B12. In spite of the marketing campaign, the drink didn’t have commercial success, as Beverage Diet showed that Coke sold Diet Coke Plus 10 times less than the regular Diet Coke in 2007.