Pepsi is giving its iconic soda a gut-friendly twist.
Just months after acquiring trendy soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion, PepsiCo has unveiled Pepsi Prebiotic Cola, a fizzy new drink packed with digestive support. Set to launch online this fall and hit store shelves in 2025, the new beverage signals Pepsi’s serious push into the health-ified soda space.
The move comes as traditional soda sales continue to slump. In Q2, Pepsi’s North American beverage volume dropped 2%, with its namesake cola being one of the few exceptions—largely thanks to the booming success of Pepsi Zero Sugar. Now, the company is banking on fiber, function, and flavor to keep the momentum going.
Pepsi Prebiotic Cola contains 3 grams of prebiotic fiber—more than Poppi but still just a third of Olipop’s 9 grams. It also includes 5 grams of cane sugar, a notable departure from classic Pepsi’s high-fructose corn syrup base. The switch to real sugar taps into rising consumer backlash against artificial sweeteners, which have been publicly criticized by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. under his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
Meanwhile, rival Coca-Cola has also jumped on the prebiotic bandwagon, launching its own Simply Pop soda earlier this year in select U.S. markets. Whether the move is a gut check or a gut goldmine remains to be seen—but the battle for belly-friendly bubbles is officially on.
With the health-conscious soda war heating up, Pepsi’s fizzy fiber gamble could give the brand a much-needed boost—both in sales and consumer trust.
