Diet Coke vs. Coke Light
 

Maybe somebody can help me with this not exactly overwhelmingly important question.<BR><BR>I bought a sandwich in a sandwich shoppe the other day near Embankment station and took a white can of what I thought was Diet Coke. It tasted awfully funny and then I examined the can...it wasn't diet coke at all but something they call Coke Light. Completely different taste.<BR><BR>I have noticed that in France, Belgium and Holland, they do not sell Diet Coke but sell Coke Light. I always thought they were the same product but when in England I could taste the different. Close inspection of the can showed all the information on it was in German. I then noticed that other stores had mixed Coke Light cans in with Diet Coke cans.<BR><BR>Anybody know why there are two such products and why would merchants begin selling Coke Light (in England) instead of Diet Coke?<BR><BR>As I said, it is not exactly an overwhelming question of importance but I prefer the taste of Diet Coke.

Many shopkeepers will buy from the cheapest supplier - even if his supplier is some guy who has been across to Europe in a Transit van and filled up with wine/beer/coke light. <BR><BR>It's not common to find it in UK. Avoid.

We have Coke Light in Switzerland, not Diet Coke. Though I strongly suspect the product is "the same", meaning caloric content. It's just that, we don't use the word "diet", rather "light" to mean little if any calories. <BR><BR>You'd think Coke would make their low-cal soda "taste the same" just as McDonald's does - or tries - with Big Macs and Cheeseburgers, wherever you buy them in the world. But there will always be some taste differences.

I have read somewhere that Coke sold in America is sweeter because Americans use ice.

The water source can often make a significat difference.

The (diet)coke in the US tastes definitely better in the US than in Belgium. Two months ago I bought Diet Coke with lemon in Florida. I was surprised, it tasted very good. Since August, we also can buy it in our country, but it is not the same; the lemon dominates the taste.<BR>And about Mc Donalds: American hamburgers are the best.

You're right, the Coke Light you get in Europe does not taste the same as the Diet Coke that you get in the U.S. I may be unique, but I actually like the taste of the Coke Light better. At home I never buy Diet Coke, but always buy Coke Light when I travel.

The diet Coke in the UK tastes exactly the same as Diet Coke in the US. What prompted this is the Coke Light sold throughout the rest of Western Europe tastes somewhat different. But perhaps the poster who said that the merchants who save money by importing coke light from Europe probably have these cans in hot trucks for weeks at a time which could change the taste.<BR><BR>Incidentally, as I discovered on a web site, the Coca Cola company in the US will be introducing Diet Vanilla Coke in the next month or two.<BR><BR>What I am waiting for is Caffeine Free Vanilla Diet Coke with Lemon.

Diet Coke is made with Nutra-sweet, Coke Light is a saccarin product.

We have definitively had Nutra-Sweet Coke Light in Finland for years (we just lovingly call it Light Cokis while speaking Finnish). I remember Coke tasting slightly different in some countries, but can´t remember the British Diet Coke being that different.<BR><BR>The problem is that at least here in Finland they changed the flavour earlier this year. Haven´t noticed if they changed the name too or not. Anyway the vigorously marketed new flavour is not for me as it´s a lot sweeter. The US version? Don´t know.<BR><BR>I never drank much of Coke, but anyway it´s going to be Sprite Light from now on. Is there Diet Sprite too?!?<BR><BR>And I´m pretty sure somebody´s about to ask if this really is an important question. No, it isn´t. I bet everybody agrees on that.<BR>

One of my kids just saw this post. The two have them have been telling my husband and me for years that Coke Lite in Italy and France is way different from (and much better than) Diet Coke in the US. On our last trip with a tour group, they were joined in this opinion by another rather worldly traveller who won't touch a Diet Coke in the US. She starts hitting Coke Light as soon as she touches ground at CDG.<BR><BR>Perhaps it is a Nutrasweet issue. They have often remarked that it isn't as sweet as US Diet Coke.<BR><BR>And by the way, MacDonalds are slightly different from country to country,too You sure don't get the "Patisserie Sampler" and Evian water off Interstate 80.

Some products are slightly different from country to country or even in the US from state to state. For example the fries at MacDonalds are different on the east coast then the west coast. (better on the east coast).<BR>

Another big difference in McDonald's is the toilet situation.<BR><BR>When nature calls, in most parts of the US and UK, you can use the toilets without any trouble or any of this bs that toilets are for customers only. And they are almost always clean.<BR><BR>In some of the Paris McDonald's, there were several McDonald's with the most disgusting toilets you ever had the misfortune to see probably to discourage non-customers from using them.<BR><BR>Of course throughout most of the cont8inent (again England excepted), they charge you something like 20 to 50 Euro cents to use the toilets.<BR><BR>In London, fortunately, you can go into almost any pub, McDonalds or hotel and not have any of this garbage.<BR><BR>There ought to be a law in all big cities, much like toronto(?), which prohibit merchants from restricting use of the toilets to customers only.

My daughter had to give up her diet pepsi or pepsi light for the Coke products,Coke sure rules in Europe!I seem to remember that Europe has a problem using

oops ! I thought the thought but didn't finish typing it! Here goes,it's not the Nutrasweet that Europe has a problem with, it's the Aspartame.That's what makes the difference in taste.

Okay! Here's the deal. Most people's responses have been right or close to right. I am offering this info. having lived in several parts of the world for a number of years and knowing the Coca-cola people there. <BR><BR>Coca-cola uses different ingredients and different formulas depending upon the part of the world and local regulations.<BR>In France, for instance, they can only use a sugar substitute derived from a vegetable product. In Korea, for instance, the Coke (not Diet Coke) is extremely sweet to appeal to the local preference for sweet carbonated beverages. When I lived there many years ago, the most popular soda was something clear that tasted and smelled like bubble gum on a sugar trip! <BR><BR>The Diet Coke specifically has quite a wide range of tastes in Europe depending on the bottling country. I myself do not care for the French version, but love the Norwegian version. If you like this type of drink, it's worth trying it in various countries! <BR><BR>And sometimes it's called Diet Coke and sometimes Coke Light....again depending upon the local opinion of the word "Diet". <BR><BR>Drink up!<BR><BR>Lisa

Uh, Nutrasweet is made from Aspartame.

I think it's something todo with using actually Aspartame,Nutrasweet contains some but has additives,so there wise guy!

Minna, There is also a Diet Sprite!