Will this be the year Coca-Cola unveils beverages enhanced with protein or dietary fiber? A hint came from James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, in an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
During the interview, Quincey said the company's portfolio would increasingly move toward beverages with higher protein content. In practical terms, this means Coca-Cola plans to launch several protein-enhanced drinks rather than focusing on a single product, as it already does in a number of countries.
Quincey noted that the company's strongest profit drivers over the past year were Diet Coke and Coke Zero, adding that the current strategic direction is to enrich Coca-Cola's beverages with protein.
Coca-Cola already offers protein shakes based on filtered milk, which have gained significant popularity due to their high protein levels. "Within the company there is a strong emphasis on refreshing our beverages, with a strong focus on protein, and people are already seeing more protein in our protein drinks," he said.
Another additive Quincey said would increasingly find its way into Coca-Cola products is dietary fiber. "It is very possible that this year we will see beverages that include dietary fiber," he said.
Fiber is soluble in beverages and can theoretically be added to almost anything. Quincey pointed to Japan as an example, where Coca-Cola already sells a local Diet Coke with fiber, Coca-Cola Fiber+. "The drink does not taste different from regular Diet Coke, and it actually proves that fiber can be incorporated into any beverage when the fiber itself has no flavor," he said.
At the same time, Quincey stressed that the Japanese product would likely remain niche, mainly limited to Japan and a few other places in Asia. "People do not buy cola in order to get their daily fiber intake," he explained.
A new kind of junk food
Following the interview, Fox News turned to US health experts for their take on Quincey's remarks. Dr. Michael Adeni, a senior dietitian based in Florida who also specializes in family medicine and the prevention of vascular diseases such as stroke, said that in his opinion, such carbonated drinks would amount to a new type of junk food, serving primarily a marketing function within emerging health trends.
"Carbonated beverages that are rich in dietary fiber and protein would have only a marginally healthier nutritional profile compared to regular soft drinks," he said. "Even today, highly processed foods that are marketed as containing healthy protein and fiber do not truly meet health criteria and do not represent a genuinely healthy alternative."
Adeni added that labeling popular beverages as "high in fiber" or "high in protein" would mislead consumers. Buyers would believe they were purchasing a much healthier drink than its actual health value justifies.
He further noted that current US dietary guidelines already recommend limiting the consumption of processed foods and sweetened soft drinks, regardless of added fiber or protein. "The reason is that throughout the years, beverages like these have consistently been linked to negative health outcomes," he said.
