Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 92: What Happened to Caffeine-Free Diet Coke?
"Are the Coke folks trying to confuse us as they phase out Caffeine-Free Diet Coke?"
Though I have for the most part weaned myself off diet sodas, every once in awhile I get a serious hankering for a cold, crisp, ever-so-satisfying 20-ounce bottles of either Fresca or Caffeine-Free Diet Coke.
Is it just wishful thinking on my part, or is Fresca making a comeback? On two Delta flights this past weekend the flight attendants came down the aisle offering Fresca as one of the soft drink options. Thank you, Delta!
But even though Delta is based in Atlanta, Coke's corporate home (Fresca is also a Coke brand), Caffeine-Free Diet Coke was not being offered. And maybe it's just my paranoia, but I have noticed that CFDC is fast disappearing from deli shelves in New York City.
The conspiracy theorist in me thinks Coke's insidious campaign to stamp out CFDC started with the 20-ounce bottle label redesign. Its formerly distinctive completely brownish gold label has been morphed into a Diet Coke-like mostly silver label with just a few small areas of brownish gold.
When you add in Coke Zero's ubiquity can you blame me for thinking that Coke is not showing Caffeine-Free Diet Coke drinkers much love lately? So here's the fundamental question: Is it just me, or are the Coke folks trying to confuse us as they phase out Caffeine-Free Diet Coke?
The anecdotal evidence suggests that is exactly what's going on. Neither of the delis closest to Serious Eats HQ (including our beloved Brown Cup, which we sometimes use as our conference room) carries Caffeine-Free Diet Coke anymore. And the deli closest to the office that does carry it has more often than not been out of it the last month or so.
As my doctor had me swear off caffeine a few months ago, this situation concerns me a great deal. Because even though I am drinking more water and seltzer than ever before, sometimes only a Caffeine-Free Diet Coke will do.
Erin kindly went out and bought me a 2-liter bottle of Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, but I am not a Diet Pepsi fan in general, so that doesn't really solve the problem. Plus, I have never seen CFDP in 20-ounce bottles in a deli cold case.
So what gives, Coke? Fess up. Just tell us what the deal is.
The Weigh-In
Though the week started with Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken and Cozy Corner Barbecue in Memphis, followed by a five-pizzeria evening in Chicago, I have managed to get back into a serious diet state of mind. Interim weigh-ins have been trending in the right direction.
Here we go: 217. Down three pounds from the hell week debacle. Hallelujah!
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12 Comments:
Please say it isn't so about the CFDC! I too am off the caffeine and this is my go-to once a week soda! Makes a great rum and coke! I haven't been able to find it in anything but cans lately (which is fine, as long as they keep selling it!).
betsy in utah at 8:40AM on 11/06/09
Diet Pepsi?!?! What, is she trying to kill you? I'm sure her intentions were all the best, but still... Accept no substitutes! (I'm from Atlanta, can you tell?)
That aside, well done! Super impressive given your pizza adventures in Chicago. You're an inspiration every week!
posephus at 9:09AM on 11/06/09
A quick search shows that there are no news reports of CFDC's demise, so it's likely that it could be a glitch somewhere in the system, such as the distributor not getting adequate amounts, or formulation issues or something.
I really wish I had access to IRI data--I'd totally go in and check distribution trends in NYC for you!
ElizabethS at 9:45AM on 11/06/09
Plenty of CFDC down here in Florida.
Fresca has always tasted funny to me.
redfish at 10:08AM on 11/06/09
We don't have CFDC in Raleigh, NC either. I have looked for it at all the lovely conveniece stores around where I live, and nada. Even in the grocery stores I don't see it that much. Then again, the supermarkets seem to have different sodas in each one so that you have to shop at two or three stores to get what you really like. I drink bottled water mostly now.
I do drink coffee, but I really did like the taste of CFDC over Pepsi's product and this is the home of Pepsi. Go figure.
Oh and congarats on the weight loss. Pizza is a tough one and barbeque,
well, I am impressed.
queenbleu at 10:22AM on 11/06/09
Surely Coca-Cola has a press office. Anyone tried calling them?
emilydev at 11:13AM on 11/06/09
CFDC is all I can find around here. I need to be off caffeine AND aspartame and for some things, only a coke will do. But I can only find the diet version around here. Here's hoping they keep up with both!
MemeGRL at 11:49AM on 11/06/09
i was just in Japan and it appears that they don't even have Diet Coke anymore (used to be called Coke Lite there). They only have Coke Zero now, which was okay by me since I love that stuff.
prncsjenny at 12:02PM on 11/06/09
Isn't the Caffeine-free Diet the new Coke: Zero?
Perhaps this is just in Canada.
As @emilydev suggests: I'd callem' up? Coke "company" contact
It's a shame you're not a Pepsi fan Ed! :D jk
keep up the great work
hungrychristel at 3:18PM on 11/06/09
Oh gosh Ed. You're just like my parents! There were always cases of the stuff chilled in the garage when I was growing up.
Grace Kang at 6:37PM on 11/06/09
Yeah, but in my opinion Diet Coke tastes closer to Pepsi than Coca-Cola Classic. And Diet Pepsi tastes closer to Pepsi too (that's why they don't need to be making a "Pepsi Zero" since their original diet already tastes similar). So I wouldn't agree with posephus that she's trying to kill you, but people have their preferences and the placebo effect (if I can use it in this context) probably has a fair amount to do with tastes.
wunami at 12:58PM on 11/08/09
My cousin with two kids wouldn't of made through her pregnancies and breastfeeding without CFDC!
UptownGirl at 1:17AM on 11/09/09