Pepsi Bets on Prebiotics to Win Back Health-Conscious Drinkers
As traditional colas fall out of favour with younger consumers, PepsiCo is taking a bold step to refresh its legacy brand by introducing a gut-friendly twist on its classic soda.
The beverage giant on Monday unveiled “Pepsi Prebiotic Cola,” a new, health-forward version of its flagship drink aimed at wellness-minded shoppers. Inspired by the success of prebiotic soda brands like Poppi – which PepsiCo acquired earlier this year – the new drink blends familiar cola taste with ingredients designed to support digestive health.
Tapping into the booming “better-for-you” beverage trend, especially popular among Gen Z, the prebiotic cola contains 5 grams of cane sugar, 3 grams of prebiotic fibre, and just 30 calories per can – mirroring the clean-label appeal of Poppi but with the iconic Pepsi flavour.
“This is our way of reimagining cola for today’s consumer,” said Ram Krishnan, CEO of PepsiCo’s U.S. beverages unit. “It’s the natural evolution of where the category is heading.”
The product will launch online on Black Friday this November, with a broader retail rollout planned for February 2026. It will be available in two flavours – Original and Cherry Vanilla – and positioned as a premium option with pricing similar to Poppi’s.
The move comes as Pepsi faces what Krishnan calls a “cola crisis.” Consumption of traditional cola flavours has declined noticeably, from 9.4 occasions per month to just 7.7 in the past two years, according to research from Kantar. Diet colas are faring even worse, with a 27% drop in consumption over the past three years – particularly among younger drinkers.
Pepsi hopes its new prebiotic cola can help win back that audience. While Poppi offers a cola variant, its fruity flavours tend to perform better, leaving room for Pepsi to recapture interest in the cola category with a health-focused formula of its own.
“There’s a clear gap,” Krishnan noted. “A lot of consumers are leaving cola behind, and no one’s really trying to bring them back.”
PepsiCo is also betting on cross-promotion with Poppi to expand its footprint. Although the brand will continue operating independently, its distribution will be integrated into PepsiCo’s network starting in September, opening up access to restaurants, travel hubs, and college campuses nationwide.
Still, the rollout isn’t without risk. Launching a permanent product without prior testing is a bold move—one that rival Coca-Cola stumbled on last year when its limited-run “Spiced” flavour failed to connect with customers and was pulled within six months.
Yet PepsiCo is betting the growing appetite for wellness beverages will help it land differently. Despite a 2% drop in North American beverage volumes in its latest earnings report, the company’s low-calorie sodas, such as Zero Sugar and Wild Cherry Zero, were among the few highlights.
Some industry watchers remain sceptical. Nate Rosen, editor-in-chief of the Express Checkout newsletter, sees the new product as a strategic but cautious move. “It feels like a defensive play riding on the Pepsi name,” he said. “Poppi still leads the health soda space – it has the authenticity that a wellness-branded Pepsi might struggle to replicate.”
Whether the new Pepsi Prebiotic Cola can spark a cola comeback remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: PepsiCo is betting that a dash of fibre might be the future of fizz.
