Is Diet Coke vegan?
We had the same question, so we dug deep to find an answer you can trust.
Coke. A popular soft drink that can be found even in the shops of some of the most remote places on earth. With a market share of 43.7% as of 2019, chances are almost everyone you meet has tasted a Coca Cola drink.
With the rise in awareness of issues surrounding animal rights and wellbeing, and of course climate and the environment, veganism is now more popular than ever and is continually gaining momentum.
Given that Diet Coke is a popular soft drink, this begs the question, is it actually vegan?
Let’s find out…
Is Diet Coke Vegan?
First and foremost, we checked the ingredients list of Diet Coke on Coca-Cola’s website and conducted separate research to find out if any of them are sourced from animals.
Ingredients
- Carbonated Water
- Colour (Caramel E150d)
- Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K)
- Natural Flavourings Including Caffeine
- Phosphoric Acid
- Citric Acid
- Contains a Source of Phenylalanine
After looking up the ingredients above, we found that none of them is derived from animal products but we still needed further proof of this, because some companies, especially large corporations, tend to be sneaky and include ingredients that may not be obvious.
Side Note: In addition to the ingredients, we also looked up the nutrition information on this diet soda for you and here’s what we found:
If you’re on a diet or just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and are craving a carbonated drink like Diet Coke, you can rest assured that it contains zero calories.
However, we would advise you to consume this drink in moderation as most of the ingredients used, may be detrimental to your health if taken in large amounts.
Further proof to indicate that Diet Coke is actually vegan, is in the testimony on the Coca-Cola website and we quote:
“The vast majority of our drinks, including Coca‑Cola, are suitable for vegetarians and vegans as they do not contain any animal derivatives.
Other Coca Cola Company Products
The following drinks are not free from animal derivatives and therefore may be unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans.
- Lilt
- Lilt Zero
- Kia-Ora Orange Squash No Added Sugar
- Schweppes Indian Tonic Water
- Schweppes Orange Squash
- Honest (Lemon and Honey)
- Glaceau Vitaminwater Zero Sunshine and Multi V
- Costa Coffee Ready-to-Drink Caramel Latte
- Costa Coffee Ready-to-Drink Latte
- Costa Coffee Ready-to-Drink Americano
This is because a few of our drinks do contain small traces of fish gelatine which is used as a stabiliser for the beta-carotene colour.
Schweppes Indian Tonic Water and Honest Lemon and Honey, both contain honey and are therefore not suitable for vegans.
In addition, some variants from the glaceau vitaminwater range contain vitamin D which may be sourced from lanolin in sheep’s wool meaning that they also are not suitable for vegans.
Costa Coffee Ready-to-Drink Caramel Latte and Costa Coffee Ready-to-Drink Latte both contain milk and are therefore unsuitable for vegans; Costa Coffee Ready-to-Drink Americano may contain milk.”
Except for the drinks listed above, we can conclude that the rest of the Coca-Cola drinks including Diet Coke are vegan and do not contain any animal products.
We would also like to point out that Diet Coke’s variants such as Caffeine- Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke Twisted Strawberry, and Diet Coke Sublime Lime are also vegan which can be verified by checking the ingredients lists on their website. We have noted them below:
Caffeine Free Diet Coke
This a variation of Diet Coke that does not contain caffeine for those of you who would like to steer clear of this stimulant.
Ingredients
- Carbonated Water
- Colour (Caramel E150d)
- Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K)
- Phosphoric Acid
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavourings
Contains a Source of Phenylalanine
Diet Coke Twisted Strawberry
With a hint of strawberry flavour, this Diet Coke contains the same main ingredients as the original Diet Coke.
Ingredients
- Carbonated Water
- Colour (Caramel E150d)
- Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K)
- Phosphoric Acid
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavourings
Contains a Source of Phenylalanine
Diet Coke Sublime Lime
With a hint of lime flavour and extracts from vegetables, the following is the ingredient list as stated on the company’s website.
Ingredients
- Carbonated Water
- Colour (Caramel E150d)
- Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K)
- Phosphoric Acid
- Citric Acid
- Natural Flavourings
- Contains a Source of Phenylalanine
Now that we know for sure Diet Coke along with its variants are vegan carbonated drinks, you may also have other questions.
These might be regarding this product or the company’s stance on animal cruelty and the environment. You may also like to check similar products on the market. To help you with this, we would love nothing more than to offer you useful and accurate information.
Is Diet Coke Tested on Animals?
You’ll be happy to know that Coca-Cola does not test on animals. The company sent a letter to PETA to declare that they have stopped this practice, and are also not directly funding any animal testing on their beverages.
In 2019, Ingredion Incorporated, a leading global ingredients supplier with net annual sales of $6B and one of Coca- Cola’s largest suppliers of corn syrup, implemented a policy that banned all experiments on animals. This was the result of the talks they had with PETA.
We’re sure the corporations don’t care about animals and its all a PR exercise to make it seem like they do care, but anything that eases the suffering of the animals can only be a good thing.
What is Coca Cola’s Contribution to The Environment?
Let’s face it, single-use plastic has to go.
Coca-Cola has been on the market since 1886 and their sodas were first sold in glass bottles only. However, in 1978, the company started using plastic bottles due to the fact that they cannot be broken easily and their ability to be resealed.
You can find a detailed timeline of Coca Cola here.
In 1996, Coca Cola started incorporating the use of recycled plastic in their products and in 2018, started producing bottles that were made from 100% recycled plastic.
In 2020, Coca-Cola partnered with Carlsberg, a popular beer maker, to come up with innovative plant-based bottles that degrade in a year.
Even though Coca-Cola is one of the top plastic polluters in the world, we appreciate the steps the company is putting into place to rectify this.
Why Is Diet Pepsi Not Vegan?
Now that you know Diet Coke is vegan, you might incorrectly assume that Diet Pepsi is also vegan given their similarities. However, this diet soda is actually not vegan. Let us explain why…
PepsiCo has clearly stated on their FAQs page that all their drinks are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, except for Diet Pepsi and Diet Pepsi Caffeine- Free.
Which ingredient are they using that means the soft drink is non-vegan? We don’t know and it seems that the company is committed to staying tight-lipped about it.
However, we do appreciate their honesty in letting us know that Diet Pepsi is not vegan.
Most Common Non-Vegan Ingredients Found in Sodas
The following are some of the most common non-vegan ingredients that are used in manufacturing sodas:
Vitamin D3
Even though Vitamin D3 can be derived from Lichen, it’s mostly derived from lanolin which is oil that can be found in sheeps’ wool.
Cochineal
This is a red food dye that is derived from bugs.
Honey
Even though this is quite rare, there are some sodas in the market that have honey in them.
Ester Gum
This is a stabilizer that is made from glycerol which also happens to be a sweetener. Glycerol can be made in the lab but most manufacturers of sodas choose to use glycerol derived from animals.
What Soft Drinks Are Vegan?
In addition to Diet Coke and its variants, we would also like to add a list of soft drinks that we have discovered to be vegan.
All Zevia drinks including juice to soft drinks are vegan. Zevia states on their FAQs page that all their ingredients are plant-based and do not contain any artificial sweeteners.
You’ll be happy to know that regular Coke and regular Pepsi soft drinks are also vegan. This information is on the companies’ statements that we shared earlier in this post. Additionally, all coca-cola drinks are vegan except the ones in the list we shared earlier.
Final Thoughts
Diet Coke is vegan and the company does not directly conduct or fund any animal testing. So you can now enjoy a cool Diet Coke with ice, without having to worry about the origin of its ingredients or the company’s policy on animal testing.
Even though it’s vegan, Diet Coke is not really healthy. There are many healthier alternative drinks out there for you such as juice from fruits or coconut water but if you must drink it, then we advise you to do so in moderation.
If you enjoyed reading this post and learning about Diet Coke and Coca Cola company, you might also be interested in some of our other vegan reviews here:
