Coca-Cola ad blitz defends diet soda safety

Coca-Cola plans to run its first ad defending the safety of artificial sweeteners today, a move that comes as the company looks to stem declining sales of diet soda.

The print ad is set to run in USA Today in the Atlanta area, followed by the Atlanta Journal Constitution tomorrow and the Chicago Tribune next week. It says diet drinks can help people manage their weight and stresses the scientific evidence showing the safety of aspartame, which is more commonly known under the NutraSweet brand name.

The ad represents the latest phase of a campaign Coca-Cola Co. launched in January to push back at critics who blame its sugary drinks for fueling obesity rates.

"Coke is trying to get out front and proactively defend these diet sweeteners," said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest, which tracks the industry.

The fading popularity of soft drinks in the U.S. has been a long-running trend, given worries that the sugary fizz makes people fat. But more recently, people have been pulling back on diet soda as well, signaling that concerns about soda go beyond weight gain.

In fact, sales of diet sodas are falling at a faster rate than regular sodas in the U.S., according to Beverage Digest. Last year, for example, sales volume for Coke fell 1 percent, while Diet Coke fell 3 percent. Pepsi fell 3.4 percent, while Diet Pepsi fell 6.2 percent.

The declines come even though the Food and Drug Administration says aspartame may be safely used in foods as a sweetener, and the American Cancer Society notes most studies using people have found that aspartame is not linked to increased risk of cancer.

Coca-Cola's ad features a picture of two women under the heading "Quality products you can always feel good about." "Time and again, these low- and no-calorie sweeteners have shown to be safe, high-quality alternatives to sugar," it states.