Introduced in 1958 Diet Rite cola was the first no-calorie soft drink on the marked. It was distributed by the RC Cola company as a dietetic, healthy product due to it's lack of sugar. The key to it's no sugar formula was the use of cyclamate and saccharin for sweetening. Imitators came soon including products such as Patio which eventually became Diet Pepsi. Problems arose for Diet Rite in 1969 when the FDA banned cyclamate (for things such as testicular atrophy). Quick to react the RC Cola corporation reformulated the drink to use saccharin exclusively. In the strive to stay innovators Diet Rite was reformulated again in 1983 to eliminate sodium (the fist commercial diet drink to do so). And, in 1987 it was changed again replacing saccharin with aspartame and removing the caffeine. Then again in 2000 Diet Rite was changed to eliminate aspartame with the introduction on sucralose and acesulfame potassium as the sweeteners. With this new change Diet Rite was the first major diet drink to not use aspartame or saccharin.
As an early innovator Diet Rite has struggled to reach the kind of success held by it's followers. Only by continuing innovation has the brand survived and held on to it;s market share. As of today Diet Rite is part of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group as is one of their core diet soda offerings.
-Professor Walter
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