Project Zero - Innovating for health and taste.
For decades, artificial sweeteners were marketed as the answer to sugar reduction, offering sweetness without calories. But science, consumer demand, and industry trends tell a different story.
Today, 65% of UK consumers actively avoid artificial sweeteners, citing health concerns, taste issues, and the desire for natural alternatives. The global clean-label movement is surging, with 45% of consumers scrutinising labels for synthetic additives and over 70% willing to pay more for drinks made with only natural ingredients.
At the same time, research continues to raise serious concerns about artificial sweeteners, with links to metabolic dysfunction, gut health disruption, and even carcinogenicity. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans", further accelerating consumer skepticism.

The Problem: A false solution.
Artificial sweeteners were once seen as the future. Now, they’re being rejected.
- Health Risks – Studies link long-term consumption to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disorders, undermining the very purpose of sugar reduction.
- The Sweetener Paradox – Research in Cell Metabolism reveals that artificial sweeteners fail to fully activate the brain’s reward system, leading to increased cravings and overeating.
- Taste Failure – Consumers don’t just want fewer calories; they want great-tasting drinks. Artificial sweeteners often leave a bitter aftertaste, and major brands have faced backlash over reformulations.
The Breakthrough: A Smarter Alternative
Project Zero isn’t about replacing artificial sweeteners, it’s about eliminating them entirely. We have pioneered a Stevia Reb M-based sweetening system that offers a clean, sugar-like taste without the drawbacks of synthetic alternatives. Unlike traditional Stevia extracts, Reb M is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, delivering a pure sweetness without bitterness or aftertaste.
Through advanced refinement techniques, we have optimised flavour, texture, and mouthfeel, ensuring our drinks maintain the premium taste consumers expect, without artificial ingredients.
The Mission: Zero Artificial Sweeteners by 2030.
Project Zero is part of a bigger transformation. We are on track to completely eliminate artificial sweeteners from soft drinks, not just in our own brand but across the industry.
By 2030, soft drinks will be free from artificial sweeteners, fully clean-label, and sweetened using only natural, sustainable alternatives.
Project Zero connects directly to Project X (Sugar Reduction) and Project R (Natural Preservation). Together, these initiatives are redefining what soft drinks can be, clean, natural, and free from compromise.