Coca Cola Zimbabwe Explains Mazoe’s New Branding

One of Zimbabwe’s national treasures is the Mazowe orange brand. Locally and internationally, Mazowe has been recommended as one of the best drinks. One the main reasons is the distinct taste that it has that’s not found in other brands.  Unfortunately the brand has gone under fire of recent for using artificial sweeteners.

The Coca-Cola Company has explained why  they are using artificial sweeteners in Mazowe to reduce the amount of sugar in its Mazoe beverages. The company went on to say that this was being done in an effort to fight obesity. This follows an uproar on social media from Zimbabweans who are complaining about the new taste. In a statement, the Coca-Cola company said,

The Coca-Cola Company has taken a global decision to do more when it comes to the issue of obesity. Around the world, eating and drinking less sugar is an increasingly important issue for many people. Sugar in both foods and beverages can be part of a balanced lifestyle if people don’t have too much. We support the current recommendation by several leading health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), that people should limit their intake of added sugar to no more than 10 percent of their total energy/calorie consumption. We’ve begun a journey toward this goal, including reducing the sugar in our Mazoe Syrups and MAZOE ORANGE CRUSH.

…We only use low and no-calorie sweeteners that have been thoroughly tested in scientific studies and are considered safe, including for children and adults, by globally recognized authorities, including the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)…Experts say diet soft drinks are safe for pregnant women. We recommend that anyone with questions about diet during pregnancy contact their doctor or midwife.