You Saw the Super Bowl Commercial, but What’s the Big Thing They Changed in Pepsi Zero Sugar?

I'm a soda drinker. In fact, I'm sipping on a Pepsi Zero Sugar right now as I write this. I know it's not the best choice of beverage for me and water is much healthier, but no need to scold me about this in the comments "mom." We all have our vices and this one is it for me.

If you watched the Super Bowl or ignored it because the Patriots weren't in it and you just came for Rihanna and the commercials, then you saw two commercials for Pepsi Zero Sugar. One was with Ben Stiller and the other with Steve Martin, showing off their acting skills and ending by saying that Pepsi Zero Sugar tastes great with their new improved taste. Or were they acting?

I have been a Coke Zero drinker for a long time, but I saw a sale on Pepsi Zero that was cheaper than Coke Zero. We're all trying to pinch pennies at the grocery store, so I grabbed two 12-packs for $13.99. I hadn't had Pepsi Zero since I switched to Coke zero for the better taste.

Apparently, the stock of the original taste hadn't been sold out, because when I got home I noticed I had grabbed a 12-pack of the old and the new.

I've tried them both now and there is a difference. I think the new taste is better, but why is it better? I looked at the ingredients to see what had changed.

Here are the Nutrition Facts labels. The old one is on the left and the new on the right.

There are three things that have changed. They have increased the amount of natural flavor which is an essential oil or extract from a plant or animal source. They have lowered the amount of caffeine and they have removed the ginseng as an ingredient, something I never even knew was in the original Pepsi Zero Sugar.

That combination of the removal of ginseng and a more natural flavor must be what makes it taste better.

So yeah. Now that I know I can sleep a lot better tonight. I'm weird like that.