PepsiCo’s launch yesterday of Pepsi Prebiotic Cola sweetened with cane sugar is being lauded as an “incredible breakthrough,” a “category-defining innovation” and “one of the biggest innovations to shake up the traditional CSD category in years,” but how different is it from the dozens of other prebiotic sodas already on the market?
Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, which will be available online this fall and at retail in early 2026 in 12-ounce cans, claims to marry the “classic crisp, refreshing taste of Pepsi” with 3 grams of prebiotic fiber and has only 5 grams of sugar, 30 calories and no artificial sweeteners.
“This is a defining moment for Pepsi and for the cola category,” Gustavo Reyna, US VP of marketing Pepsi at PepsiCo Beverages US, said in a LinkedIn post. “With Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, we are changing the game, once again. We are not just launching a new product. We are reimagining what Cola can be for today’s and tomorrow’s consumer.”
How does Pepsi Prebiotic Cola stack up to the competition?
PepsiCo’s announcement was welcomed with accolades on the social media site, including the assessment by one poster that the launch “is exactly the kind of bold thinking and category-defining innovation that separates leaders from the pack.”
But is it category-defining? Or is it an example of a heavy-weight entering a category established by a collection of pioneering players with lesser-known but still beloved brands?
Yes, Pepsi Prebiotic Cola has notably less sugar and fewer calories than classic Pepsi and even competitor Coca-Cola Co’s recently launched Simply Pop Prebiotic soda, but its nutrition profile arguably falls in line with many of the frontrunners in the prebiotic soda category – including that of popular prebiotic fiber brand Poppi, which PepsiCo acquired for nearly $2 billion in May.
Classic Pepsi includes 41 grams of total sugar from high fructose corn syrup, 150 calories and “natural flavors.” Pepsi Prebiotic Cola has half the 10 grams of sugar and 60 calories in a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Co’s Simply Pop Prebiotic soda. Poppi has the same amount of sugars as Pepsi Prebiotic Cola but 5 fewer calories per 12-ounce can. Poppi also has one gram less of prebiotic fiber per serving.
In addition to Simply Pop Prebiotic soda and Poppi, Pepsi Prebiotic Cola is going up against a rapidly growing competitive set of better-for-you sodas with prebiotic fiber, including category pioneer Olipop and followers SunSip, Culture Pop, Evolution Fresh, Wildwonder and more. While these brands may not have the cache and heft of heritage branding that comes with the Pepsi name, they fill many of the same consumer demands as Pepsi’s latest launch and many have dedicated cult following or powerful marketing engines behind them.
As for flavor, Pepsi has a hardcore following as illustrated by the long running Pepsi Challenge that pits its product against competitors in blind taste tests. The brand’s iconic flavor and status established by decades of viral marketing could bring new consumers - mainly mainstream shoppers - to the prebiotic fiber soda set. But can its initial launch of Original Cola and Cherry Vanilla flavors stand apart from the wide range of nostalgic and future-focused flavors already available in the space?
For example, while Olipop’s Vintage Cola might not fool anyone in a blind taste test against Pepsi, its other flavors bring their own buzz. For example, last May it collaborated with toymaker Mattel to launch a Barbie branded Peaches & Cream flavor. Also, it offers a Cherry Vanilla that it says tastes like cherry pie in a can, as well as a regular Cherry Cola, Strawberry Vanilla, Orange Cream and Classic Root Beer alongside more adventurous flavors, like Crisp Apple, Banana Cream, Watermelon Lime and more.
Likewise, SunSip from Health-Ade is growing fast in the prebiotic soda set with similar flavors, including a Strawberry Vanilla, Cherry Cola and Lemon Lime as well as a Raspberry Lemonade and others.
Even PepsiCo’s Poppi has a Cherry Cola offering and Classic Cola, in addition to more cutting edge options, like Raspberry Rose.
Can singles serve success?
Familiar with how competitive soda can be, PepsiCo says it will offer single cans of Pepsi Prebiotic Cola “for trial” as well as 8-packs.
It also plans to stock its new offering alongside the full Pepsi portfolio in the traditional carbonated soft drink aisle – eschewing the so-called modern soda set that features many of the other better-for-you and prebiotic sodas. The play could signal the brand is going after consumers who have not yet made the move to healthier options and who still shop the traditional soda aisle.
Likewise, its decision to sweeten the beverage with cane sugar could pull business away from Coca-Cola, which famously makes its flagship product with cane sugar for the Mexico market and which has a cult following in the US but can be hard to find.
The timing of the launch also positions Pepsi Prebiotic Cola to benefit from the buzz around President Donald Trump’s declaration last week that Coke made with “REAL Cane Sugar” tastes better than the version made with high fructose corn syrup more commonly found in the US.
