<p>The Coca-Cola Co., the world's biggest soft drink maker, said Monday it will begin selling Diet Coke sweetened with sugar substitute Splenda in the spring. Rival PepsiCo Inc., meanwhile, said it plans to reformulate its single-calorie drink Pepsi One with the sweetener as well.</p><p>Shares of a major manufacturer of Splenda's key ingredient rose on the news.</p><p>Diet Coke with Splenda will have a distinct label with the name of the sweetener on it as well as a yellow streak. Coca-Cola will continue to sell traditional Diet Coke, which is flavored with aspartame, separately.</p><p>Diet Coke with Splenda is expected to be launched in the second quarter, the Atlanta-based company said in a statement.</p><p>The launch follows Coke's rollout of other flavors of Diet Coke, including lime, lemon, cherry and vanilla.</p><p>Offering more varieties is part of the beverage giant's effort to boost sales in North America.</p><p>Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, meanwhile, plans to launch Pepsi One reformulated with Splenda in March, spokesman Dave DeCecco said. Its Diet Pepsi drink is sweetened with aspartame.</p><p>Splenda has grown in popularity since its introduction in 2000, appearing in everything from soda and ice cream to candy and jams. Demand for it has been spurred by a surge in anti-sugar diets such as Atkins and South Beach.</p><p>Splenda is sold to consumers as a table and baking sugar substitute by McNeil Nutritionals, a Pennsylvania-based unit of Johnson & Johnson.</p><p>Shares of London-based Tate & Lyle PLC, a leading manufacturer of Splenda's key ingredient sucralose, rose 7.1 percent to close at 5.01 pounds ($9.39) on the London Stock Exchange.</p><p>Coca-Cola shares rose 2 cents to close at $42.49 in Monday trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where PepsiCo shares fell 61 cents to close at $54.70.</p><p>___</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>HASH(0x28667c0)</p><p>HASH(0x2866868)</p><p>PepsiCo Inc.: hwwp://www.pepsi.com</p>
