Coke Zero Discontinued

Sage on 17/06/2017 - 23:44

What does everyone think of this?

After 11 years they're discontinuing Coke Zero permanently.
Keep an eye out for clearance sales.
It's being replaced by Coca-Cola No Sugar, which has a different blend of flavourings to taste more like real Coca-Cola with sugar.

They'll be having free samples for Coca-Cola No Sugar so be sure to inform the community here if you spot one.

I'll reserve judgement until I've tried the replacement, but I'd say this is a risky move. Coke Zero is pretty popular.
I'll miss the black packaging and labels.

The new one is now available in stores.

Food & Grocery Coca-Cola Soft Drink

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Comments

        • TenaciousTom on 19/06/2017 - 11:25
          +4

          You missed the fear-monger train for this one by about 10 years.

        • airal3rt on 19/06/2017 - 15:21
          -7

          @blitz:

          FDA is widely recognized as a joke and is essentially a puppet for the food industry, but hey you're welcome to be the human lab rat if you like. Remember the tobacco industry manipulated the freaking medical practitioner's association into telling people there was no conclusive link between smoking and cancer for almost two decades after it was proven. If you want to believe these megacorporation-controlled puppets value your health more than hundred of billions of dollars, that's on you.

        • airal3rt on 19/06/2017 - 15:33
          -3

          @Spazzwan:

          Yeah, so that's a study that PROVES aspartame causes cancer, two posts ago people were saying it flat out doesn't. Now people are clinging to "well I drink less than that". See how quickly the goal posts shift? Indicative of how defensive people will get because they desperately avoid acknowledging the risk they are taking.

          The truth is, nobody KNOWS whether 2 cans a week is likely to give you cancer, and nobody KNOWS whether a litre a day is likely to give you cancer. Nobody KNOWS anything because aspartame hasn't existed long enough to study the long term effects in humans. The problem is if you look at the research an objective analysis makes it clear this substance INDISPUTABLY causes cancer, and we don't know the levels(if any) that humans can consume. The FDA and FSANZ are literally basing their recommendations of Aspartame intake from Coca-Cola sponsored rat studies where the rats were killed off at an age before the tumours could develop.

        • blitz on 19/06/2017 - 16:49

          @airal3rt:

          Yeah, so that's a study that PROVES aspartame causes cancer

          How does it do that? Explain. You see, for every study you can find that asserts this, I could find 10 or more that say it doesn't. You could too. Yet you choose to believe a crackpot conspiracy.

        • SydStrand on 19/06/2017 - 23:42
          -1

          @airal3rt:

          Yeah, so that's a study that PROVES aspartame causes cancer, two posts ago people were saying it flat out doesn't

          Looks like someone hasn't brushed up on their hierarchy of evidence.

        • Jalif on 20/06/2017 - 00:18

          @blitz: It PROVES something, but nobody else has been able to REPLICATE the results.

        • ESEMCE on 20/06/2017 - 14:50
          +1

          @Spazzwan:
          More importantly 5.8L of Coke each and every day for 3 consecutive years!

        • ESEMCE on 20/06/2017 - 14:57
          +1

          @airal3rt:

          aspartame hasn't existed long enough to study the long term effects in humans

          Yeah it has..
          First approved for use in Human food in 1981… There's 36 years' worth of data.

          Going for a walk on a sunny day is also known to cause cancer.
          Flying in a commercial airliner - known to increase X-Ray exposure which is known to cause cancer!

          There's heaps of stuff known to cause cancer that we're happy to continue to do cause the benefits outweigh the very marginal increase in risk.

        • BumbaT on 21/06/2017 - 20:35
          +1

          @airal3rt:

          Anything can cause death if you increase the dosage enough.

          Vitamin A will also cause cancer in rats in high dosage.

          The metabolic pathway of a human is so far advanced and we have yet been able to tap into the relationship.

          Aspartame is made from 2 amino acids d aspartic acid and phenylalanine.

          Aspartame is one of the most tested substances out there.

          I think maybe you need to look at the weight of evidence stacked up against you and decide whether you need to research a little more.

          That being said. I would be interested in seeing an erythritol
          Sweetened soft drink. Although not sure of the dietary fiber effects it might have with large consumption.

    • onlyletters on 18/06/2017 - 22:54
      +1

      truth

    • dezza112 on 19/06/2017 - 10:33

      Coke Zero created the X-men?

    • mattyman on 19/06/2017 - 11:18
      +2

      Pretty sure most of those studies saying that aspartame is cancer causing are all funded by the US corn industry. Irregardless as to whether it's true or not, sugar has been proven to be extremely bad for you so you're probably better off with the aspartame.

    • Seraphin7 on 19/06/2017 - 11:56

      Yeah, nah. The basis of your statement is incorrect. Various food standard authorities don't just let you make and sell products until they are proven to be harmful to humans. All these substances must be approved for use before they can be sold.

    • GangGang on 19/06/2017 - 19:10
      +1

      Hmm just like the Johnson & Johnson lawsuits.

    • iinot on 19/06/2017 - 19:22

      That's what they are doing. Coke Zero is not discontinued, it will remain while No Sugar is introduced. This is only happing in Australia/OCE. Other countries are discontinuing Zero.

    • akashra on 19/06/2017 - 21:28
      +2

      It's the second highest-selling item at supermarkets Australia wide. This is a bizarre decision.

    • Jalif on 19/06/2017 - 23:00

      There is no reputable human or animal study that links artificial sweeteners to genetic damage or cancer.

      There is also no known potential mechanism for this damage.

    • ESEMCE on 20/06/2017 - 14:42
      +1

      potentially carcinogenic and causing DNA mutations.

      Nope…. if you actually read these studies, the lab animals are fed powdered sweetener equivalent to a human drinking something like 20* cans of Diet Cola every day for months on end (*It's been years since I did a literature review on this so my memory is vague on the actual number)…
      If anything, the studies show how safe a small amount of sweetener that is present in a can of Coke is.
      Sure, it raises questions about your longevity if you get caught in a Zombie apocalypse trapped inside a Diet Coke factory with no hope of rescue, but then you've probably got more pressing issues to worry about!

      Add to that the very well understood metabolic cycle of Aspartame which yields 2 Amino Acids (building blocks for all enzymes/proteins) and a molecule of Methanol. The dangerous bit here is the Methanol, but there's more Methanol in an average Apple than will be metabolised from the sweetener in a can of Diet Coke.

      want to distance themselves from the product

      Good theory until you see that the exact same sweetener is still being used in the new product…
      Then it looks like a sh!t theory!

    • devs on 29/06/2017 - 14:19

      This is a little misleading. If you listen to the recent episode of the "Science vs" Podcast where they discuss artificial sweeteners and present the research done, its actually not as bad as some people make it out to be.

      Link for those interested: https://gimletmedia.com/episode/3718/

  • dcep on 18/06/2017 - 00:37

    what about diet coke

    • Turd on 19/06/2017 - 18:37

      Isn't that just water?

      • WreckTangle on 19/06/2017 - 20:45

        Caffeine Free Diet Coke might be.

  • DarthAntz on 18/06/2017 - 00:37

    struggle street for coca cola. they know we know whats up. They'd be better off not selling sugar in a bottle.

  • scatman00 on 18/06/2017 - 01:49
    +2

    I only drink zero, or at least I used to.
    I rate the new no sugar at the same level as the zero, and would have no issue with it as the replacement.
    With that said coke still have production plans in place for zero a month from now, so still testing the waters before committing to the replacement solely.
    Fyi as a mixer no sugar is nearly indistinguishable. As a stand alone the misses couldnt pick it from normal coke. (hates zero)
    Source : likely bought more coke than anyone here.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 11:00
      +2

      The ads they used to do hiding zero in Coke cups was certainly misleading as there is significantly different taste to zero from Coke.
      Zero has no body, fluid texture, dry, and high acid reflux.

      Undoubtedly they believe they can fix this in the new version.

      • bdubba on 18/06/2017 - 12:07
        +1

        The "dry"ness is exactly what I loved about Coke Zero, tried the new one yesterday and it was okay. Can see why they're doing it.

      • dufflover on 18/06/2017 - 21:42

        Yeah, but hey that's what an ad is meant to do I suppose.

        Yeah nah, I could easily tell the difference too. Same with Life and Diet. But they do seem to be getting closer gradually, maybe the replacement will finally be close enough (I doubt it hehe)

        Original FTW!

      • akashra on 19/06/2017 - 21:30
        +2

        Without any question Zero tasted different, but it wasn't an unpleasant taste, unlike Diet. Hell, why couldn't they just kill of Diet with this plan?

        • guac on 19/06/2017 - 23:35

          I know right, coke zero tasted way better than diet coke! Although I still prefer original over all of them.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 01:51
    +1

    drink water, its probably worse for you though

    • Euphemistic on 18/06/2017 - 07:32
      +1

      A lot of people seem to think that you are only allowed to drink water from a purchased prepackaged bottle and that if it comes from the tap you'll get cancer or something.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 18/06/2017 - 09:05

        And fortified teeth!! 😱

        • Kangal on 18/06/2017 - 10:58

          What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

          RIPteeth2017

      • gimli on 18/06/2017 - 21:53

        giardia
        cryptosporidum

  • t_c on 18/06/2017 - 09:05
    +4

    I really enjoy the great refreshing taste of Coca Cola, both zero and standard and look forward to enjoying the new Coke no sugar. It really is the perfect accompaniment to any meal but also goes great on its own.

    • PJC on 18/06/2017 - 11:32
      +7

      It also makes young women dance and smile, unless advertising agencies have been lying for decades.

      • abb on 19/06/2017 - 09:24
        +7

        I once opened Every time I open a can of Coke^TM , I am literally swarmed by attractive people of my preferred gender and sexual orientation.

        • PJC on 19/06/2017 - 14:39

          I commiserate.

    • cannedhams on 19/06/2017 - 12:53
      +1

      I also enjoy the taste of that particular beer.

      • j4ck on 19/06/2017 - 13:43

        Boo!

  • NancyCat on 18/06/2017 - 09:40
    +1

    I did a Bunnings sausage sizzle last year. Coke Zero was by far the best seller (apart from the sausages).

    • gimli on 18/06/2017 - 21:54

      Did you have Pepsi Max?

      • Jalif on 19/06/2017 - 23:03

        Who for?

        Pepsi products sell poorly in the Australian market. Schweppes lemonade/Sunkist and solid are far superior to the coke products, but still sell poorly.

    • FatBlanket on 19/06/2017 - 22:02

      Well that settles it then

  • jimbobaus on 18/06/2017 - 10:26
    -8

    Coke No Sugar… and Coke Zero are the SAME product
    its a simple RE-BRANDING….
    Don't believe the hype… its the same bloody drink

    • bdubba on 18/06/2017 - 12:07

      It's not the same at all, they actually taste way different, and Coke No Sugar has no preservatives.

      • Jikx on 19/06/2017 - 12:24
        +2

        No preservatives? The entire product is a preservative! Nothing grows in a pool of acid and artificial sugar.

    • picklewizard on 18/06/2017 - 12:38

      So what's the difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke then?

      • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 10:23

        They taste completely different. I like Coke Zero, and can't stand Diet Coke which is only surpassed in my disgust by Pepsi Max.

        They are also marketed differently. Apparently Zero is marketed to men and nicknamed "bloke coke" and diet coke is marketed to women, or so I've read. i haven't seen anyone turn down a diet coke in fear that their sexual orientation might be questioned, nor men in fear that they'd be seen as less much nor women turn down Coke Zero because they might be seen as less feminine.

      • Jalif on 19/06/2017 - 23:04

        Diet coke is sweeter, and less acidic, much closer to Pepsi than coke.

        Coke zero tries to replicate the coke taste.

    • klownz on 18/06/2017 - 13:57

      Perhaps Coke Zero means different things in different markets. What does zero equate to in other languages..

      • MrTweek on 18/06/2017 - 19:37

        Even Diet means something different in different languages, which is why they've been using different names for it for decades.
        But since the name of Diet Coke doesn't change, this doesn't seem to be a problem.

    • oringal on 19/06/2017 - 00:53

      Its a different formulation, lifehacker had some of its staff try and compare them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4PZa1b-b4w&t=0s

  • bion83 on 18/06/2017 - 10:44
    +1

    This deal might help during tasting
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/313511

  • spychiatrist on 18/06/2017 - 11:14
    +1

    Pepsi Max is better

    • Marrk on 19/06/2017 - 13:50

      Recently made the switch to Pepsi Max, mainly because it is cheaper than Coke Zero ($2 for 2L at Woolworths).

  • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 12:52
    +3

    if they put cocaine back in it I might have a drink :)

  • Sensiekatie on 18/06/2017 - 13:34

    I heard a whole ago both Coke and Pepsi were working with Stevia and hoping to rid their products of artificial sweeteners. Obviously, the products are not working out yet.

    • amkssg on 18/06/2017 - 14:36
      +1

      You can buy "Coke with Stevia" (green band), formerly known as "Coke Life" in Australia.
      "Coke Life" has been kind of a flop in Australia, but apparently quite successful overseas.

      Also, stevia isn't exactly a "sugar replacement" since all drinks that contain stevia needs to contain sugar as well.
      (i.e. usually a ratio of 30% stevia, 70% sugar)

      • MrTweek on 18/06/2017 - 19:38

        Why do you need to mix Stevia with sugar?
        I thought they just do it because Stevia is a lot more expensive than sugar.

        • amkssg on 18/06/2017 - 21:06
          +1

          Found online:

          steviol glycosides do not taste like white sugar and have a bitter aftertaste that falls somewhere between liquorice and treacle. As a result, stevia cannot supply more than 50 per cent of the sweetness in a manufactured food or drink and still be palatable.

        • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 10:30

          @bsmksg:

          That's nonsense. The Stevia you buy in powder form isn't "cut" with any kind of sugar and is great in tea, coffee and hot chocolate. (As an aside this was used as a plot device for killing off one of the villians in Breaking Bad - Lydia was addicted to Stevia and the Walter White poisoned a satchel of it at the diner when they met).

          You can also buy it in a form that works well in baking. It just doesn't seem to work in carbonated drinks - Coke Life/Coke with Stevia tastes like bad cough medicine when at room temperature despite the added sugar, but is more drinkable cold.

          Stevia doesn't seem to work well in frozen products like iceblocks and icecream either because I haven't seen either sweeted with Stevia.

        • mattyman on 19/06/2017 - 11:19
          +2

          @syousef: I personally think Stevia tastes foul. That after taste is a killer.

        • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 14:44

          @mattyman:

          In tea and hot chocolate I experience no after taste so I guess I'm lucky. I'm extremely fussy with my cola addiction. Can't stand the cheap stuff, vanilla coke, or pepsi max. I'll go without. In a pinch i will drink a diet coke but don't enjoy it. So this may force me to quit. Until I taste it, it's Schrodinger's coke habit. I have been actively looking for it when shopping. So far I've only seen it once at a Coles in Doonside NSW but only in the 600ml bottles at 2 for $6. I do NOT pay $5/Litre for my addiction. In fact I baulk at $2/Litre and try to get it on special.

        • amkssg on 19/06/2017 - 16:39

          @syousef: Correction: stevia cannot supply more than 50 per cent of the sweetness in a manufactured food or drink and still be palatable. However, the other 50% need not be sugar

          In the case of "Stevia you buy in powder form", it isn't pure stevia either. It is usually (but not always) a mixture of stevia and sugar alcohols, which have zero calories.

        • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 17:16

          Sugar alcohol is not sugar though.

          The one used along side the Stevia I have is erythritol.

          From Uncle Google.
          "Non-caloric – While most sugar alcohols are low calorie, erythritol has zero calories. Non-glycemic - Does not raise blood sugar – erythritol is considered suitable for people with diabetes because it does not raise plasma glucose or insulin levels."

          Here's the first study I hit and it's a tiny study on just 5 diabetics.
          https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8933647

          Another small study
          https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995183/

          I don't have time to keep looking right now.

          There are definitely side effects like diarrhea if you have too much but I've never had enough to trigger any of them to the best of my knowledge.

          I can also tell you that with stevia tastes better than pure erythritol (another sweetener called Norbu).

        • Jalif on 20/06/2017 - 00:20

          @syousef:
          It's cut with maltodextrin which is a sugar, just an indigestible one.

        • syousef on 20/06/2017 - 16:31

          @Jalif:

          See my post above. The Stevia satchels are "cut" with erythritol which is technically a sugar alcohol. But erythritol does not raise blood sugar, and a sugar alochol is not a sugar.

          Maltodextrin is not sucrose (common sugar) nor glucose (blood sugar) in the same why that hydrogen peroxide is not water. Maltodextrin is a Polysaccharide, which is a chain of Monosaccharides (also called simple sugars). Maltodextrin does raise blood sugar.

          Maltodextrin is also "easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose"
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltodextrin

          Describing maltodextrin as "indigestible" sugar is not just a little bit wrong. It's like calling a bridge a car. But that's a moot point when it's not part of the product.

          I'd encourage you to check your facts before posting.

        • baycie on 20/06/2017 - 21:46

          Maltodextrin raises blood sugars, Erythritol can also raise blood sugars but is the least likely of the sugar alcohols to do so, followed by Xylitol derived from birch trees and then corn derived Xylitol. You can buy 100% pure Stevia powder, I buy it, along with Erythritol and Xylitol and make my own blend for baking.

  • cheapisgood on 18/06/2017 - 16:13

    Really disappointed they are going to remove Coke Zero. Finally I never really like the taste of regular Coke, had a weird after taste and just taste like sugar only to me.

    They should have just left Coke Zero alone and can also have this new Coke No Sugar co-exist as well.

    This could be like the 80's in the US.

    • c0balt on 19/06/2017 - 11:16
      +2

      Unfortunately your taste buds have become a casualty of the cola wars.

      I remember when it happened to me around 2007 when Fanta took their Sour Apple + Watermelon range off the shelves.

      I've only barely recovered from the loss. I wish you all the best with your grief. It gets easier over time.

  • banzini on 18/06/2017 - 19:30
    -2

    Coke zero tastes like crap, so i am happy with this move

    • Scrooge McDuck on 18/06/2017 - 20:22
      +12

      How familiar are you with the taste of crap?

      • banzini on 18/06/2017 - 20:24
        -3

        Wouldn't know, I am drinking pepsi max / vanilla!

        • ThadtheChad on 19/06/2017 - 00:19
          +3

          I am drinking pepsi max / vanilla!

          Well then you do know. :)

        • VBO on 19/06/2017 - 12:20
          -1

          That explains a lot.

      • Jalif on 19/06/2017 - 23:06

        He eats pieces of shit like you for breakfast.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 20:19

    I thought Coke Zero and Pepsi Max were good when they were new but for some reason nowadays they taste really weak and metallic.
    The reason for the change is they have supposedly found a way to get closer to the real Coke flavour. I look forward to trying it.

    • argonide on 18/06/2017 - 21:04

      The metallic taste is due to the aspartame.

  • Mysterious Laptop on 18/06/2017 - 20:35

    ??? I guess officially it's been discontinued, but they have the new "coke no sugar" drink. The type of product is not fully lost I guess.

    • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 21:07
      -1

      You didn't read the post.

  • Shiny Mew on 18/06/2017 - 21:32

    Drink normal coke and the sugar will rot your teeth and make you fat.

    Drink no-sugar coke and the artificial sweetener will increase your risk of cancer and damage your DNA.

    Drink tap water and the fluoride will give you brain damage.

    Drink bottled water and you will harm the environment and your wallet.

    Can't win.

    • SilentBob on 18/06/2017 - 21:37
      +4

      Drink your own piss

    • cheapisgood on 18/06/2017 - 21:51

      you drink tap water after you boiled it :)

      • Colombian on 19/06/2017 - 03:40

        Taste of boiled water sucks.

    • Euphemistic on 19/06/2017 - 07:05
      +2

      Drink beer or wine and forget all the above problems.

    • imahapyboy on 19/06/2017 - 08:02

      keep recycling it :p

    • boomramada on 19/06/2017 - 09:34
      +1

      Drink Coconut water? ;)

    • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 10:39
      +3

      For a change try reading some actual credible research instead of whatever crap gets posted on Facebook.

      • All carbonated drinks are bad for your teeth. They contain (realtively) weak acids. So eating anything with vinegar.
      • All are associated with weight gain and mess with your blood sugar.
      • The real stuff does more damage on the blood sugar front and greatly increases your risk of diabetes.
      • The mechanism for artificial sweetners messing with your metabolism and blood sugar is not well understood but it is well documented.
      • There is little or no credible research linking artificial sweetners and cancer.
      • There is no evidence that fluoride causes brain damage at the levels found in tap water.
      • Bottled water is a scam and yes it's bad for the environment.
      • Any study that gives a greatly exaggerated dose to mice and associates that with cancer is interesting only in that it may lead to more reasonable research on the topic. Even pure unfluoridated water is toxic at a high enough dose!
      • If you can reduce your reliance on carbonated drinks, it is clearly going to be better for you. In the same way that drinking less alcohol, eating healthy and excercising more is good for you. Self loathing and judging others for it isn't good for anyone.
  • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 21:37

    Pepsi maxx wins this round.

  • jace88 on 18/06/2017 - 21:40

    I'm shocked. I thought this was a hoax!

  • gimli on 18/06/2017 - 21:55

    Do peoples remember the taste the difference pepsi max challenge?

  • noise36 on 18/06/2017 - 22:08

    I only really drink Coke Zero if im not drinking water…this isnt good :(

  • Pigey on 18/06/2017 - 22:30
    +1

    Coke No Sugar is great. Very similar to a regular Coke. I'm definitely sold.

    I used to drink Coke zero and always could taste the metallic after taste but didn't mind it. Would rather drink normal Coke but didn't want the calories.

    My dad wouldn't drink Coke Zero but can't taste the difference between Coke No Sugar and regular coke now on a blind tasting. Pepsi Max might have a fight on their hands.

  • ralpal on 18/06/2017 - 22:44

    I like Diet Coke and Coke Zero equally but the undisputed winner is now Pepsi Max Vanilla

  • keepingtrack on 18/06/2017 - 22:54
    +1

    Curious to know if anyone else reckons the normal Coke we drink nowadays has a noticeably less cola taste/aftertaste as compared to a few years back when they weren't using "cane sugar"? I was in Europe recently and found their coca cola classic had less of a sugary aftertaste vs. the cans/glass bottles in AU, although the differences might just be very subtle to most drinkers?

    • Yarkin on 18/06/2017 - 23:28

      A lot of soft drinks in Europe replace some of the sugar with other sweeteners even in the regular versions of the drink. They definitely do this for Fanta and Sprite but not sure about Coke. So you may have been drinking a less sugary version without realising it. I think it's a good compromise on taste vs calories.

      • Jalif on 19/06/2017 - 23:07

        Sort of pointless though.

        4 teaspoons of sugar to a glass vs 8 teaspoons is really a waste of time and effort

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