Usually, when a company discontinues a soda brand, or even a flavor, it gives consumers some notice.
PepsiCo, for example, shares on its website when production has stopped, which alerts fans of the flavor that it may still be available at retail. That allows people to fill their closets, garages, and basements with any remaining inventory.
Some people literally do that in order to have a stockpile of a drink they love on hand after it goes out of production. Others will attempt to sell it on eBay or other similar sites after it no longer appears on store shelves.
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Soda fans have their favorites, and many become inconsolable when a flavor they love gets pulled even if sales of it no longer justify its production. Coca-Cola’s TaB, the original diet soda, may be the most extreme example of this.
There’s an active committee trying to bring back TaB, which was long ago supplanted in Coke’s lineup by better-tasting diet colas. That has not stopped this devoted group which lays out its mission on its website.
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“On October 16, 2020, the Coca-Cola Company announced they would discontinue TaB – their original diet cola – after 57 years of production. That’s where we come in. We’re TaB drinkers with a purpose. We’re the SaveTaB Soda Committee, and we’re working hard to convince Coca-Cola to reverse its decision to eliminate TaB,” the group shared.
TaB may not be good, but people like what they like, and fans of another diet soda have recently been blindsided by the loss of their favorite brand.
TaB came before Diet Coke and Coke Zero Sugar.
Image source: Coca-Cola
Another diet soda brand just disappeared
Created by RC Cola and now owned by Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) , Diet Rite has a long history. It was actually launched in 1958, five years before TaB, so it could claim to actually be the original diet cola.
The product has a simple description on its Amazon page, which shows it as being out of stock.
“A cola with zero calories, zero carbs, zero caffeine, and zero sodium.”
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It was a simple idea that has maintained a fanbase for decades.
Recently, however, it has become harder to find or been not available at stores. That’s something the Diet Rite Reddit community noticed.
“I no longer see it in any of the stores that used to carry them in southern California. Did it get discontinued?” Booogie-man posted.
Other members anecdotally confirmed the change.
“It has just now disappeared in the greater Phoenix area in Arizona. Since it’s never announced when things are getting discontinued, I’m disappointed that I didn’t grab more of them last month. The last two times I went shopping at Fry’s, the shelf spot was bare, and the label was still on it, so I thought they were slow in getting more in. Then the label disappeared, and soda products were shuffled around. I asked, and yup, Fry’s discontinued it. I went over to Albertson’s and asked, and they discontinued it also,” another Reddit user shared.
Diet Rite appears to be discontinued
Keurig Dr Pepper has not made any public comment on the future of Diet Rite, but it has stopped producing it. The company has also removed any mention of the diet soda from its website.
A search on the beverage maker’s webpage comes up with “no results.”
Many fans are very upset because the soda had a recipe that’s different than its rivals.
“It’s the only diet cola that doesn’t have poisonous aspartame in it, and Splenda tastes more like sugar and doesn’t have a bad aftertaste,” wrote ScottVF.
Related: Popular diet drink brand adds alcohol
Perhaps a committee could be formed to lobby Keurig Dr Pepper to bring it back.
Many people simply lamented its departure from store shelves.
“It is sad that they discontinued it. The company never has promoted it. It tasted good, had no sodium, and was caffeine-free. It is a shame they let it ‘drop.’ Our local Walmart quit carrying it some time ago. Now, my go-to employee-owned store told me today that they will not be carrying it any longer as they cannot get it,” shared JBugOH.