Stevia-sweetened fizzy drink Pepsi Next will hit our shelves next week, a month ahead of rival Coke Life - but health experts doubt the new products will bring any major reduction to the overall harm caused to Kiwis by sugary drinks.
Pepsi Next, which like Coca-Cola's green-labelled product is sweetened with stevia leaf, is being marketed as a healthier alternative to regular Pepsi Cola, which contains about 30 per cent more sugar.
Stevia comes from a plant native to South America and had been used as a natural sweetener around the world for hundreds of years before the rival soft drink giants saw it as a way to slash sugar levels.
It had been growing in popularity because of its ability to naturally reduce sugars in diets while retaining a high level of sweetness, said Aisha Daji Punga, commercial director of PepsiCo's New Zealand bottling partner, Frucor.
Coca-Cola's own product, expected to launch here in early April, was developed in response to a growing demand for less sugary drinks.