Diet Sodas Are Staying Right Where They Are

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has officially decided not to prevent Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola from labelling their sodas as “diet.” The problem arose when a consumer rights group called U.S. Right to Know petitioned the FTC to ban the two companies from using the term “diet,” claiming it was “deceptive, false, and misleading.”

Here’s what Gary Ruskin, co-director of U.S. Right to Know said:

“It’s regrettable that the FTC won’t act to halt the deceptions of the ‘diet’ soda industry. Ample scientific evidence links artificial sweeteners to weight gain, not weight loss. I do believe that ‘diet’ soda will go down in U.S. history as one of the greatest consumer frauds ever.”

They also cited numerous studies in order to support their claim that diet drinks do the exact opposite of what is written on their containers. Additionally, they argued that these false advertisements of food products are against the law, by all means. The group sent open letters to both the FTC and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in April, thoroughly explaining their demands. However, the responses they received were much different than what was expected – the FDA claimed they were still evaluating the request, and the FTC said they would definitely not issue the ban.

What’s your opinion on the matter?