Two years ago, responding to customer backlash against high fructose corn syrup, PepsiCo released limited editions of its Pepsi and Mountain Dew soft drinks with real sugar as a replacement sweetener. That eight-week run in 2009 was followed by an extended run in 2010, and now last week an announcement that Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback will be around for good, or at least the foreseeable future.
Though the natural-ness of caramel color is up for debate, it’s great to see another company moving away from HFCS and putting a generally authentic product on the shelf.
Of course, I’m only speaking for Pepsi Throwback. Mountain Dew Throwback, despite using sugar, still has a mess of oddities in its ingredient listing.
Ingredients in Pepsi Throwback
Carbonated water, sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid, caffeine, natural flavor
Ingredients in Mountain Dew Throwback
Carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, sodium benzoate, caffeine, gum arabic, brominated vegetable oil, yellow 5.