• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 9, 2014

This summer, PepsiCo will launch three new Pepsi cola varieties that contain real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup, according to a report by Beverage Digest.

The flavors are "Pepsi Made With Real Sugar," "Pepsi Vanilla Made With Real Sugar," and "Pepsi Wild Cherry Made With Real Sugar."

The move is clearly the latest response to the continuing declines in soda sales, and growing consumer demand for "natural" ingredients. 

The real-sugar versions of Pepsi appear to be taking the place of PepsiCo's sugar-sweetened Pepsi Throwback, which started as an intermittently distributed limited-edition concept, but became part of the permanent portfolio in 2011, points out BevNet. 

PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and others, including Zevia, are also vying to offer new zero-and reduced-calorie sodas with better-tasting natural sweetener formulations. PepsiCo has exclusive rights to use a new ingredient from Senomyx, called Sweetmyx, BevNet confirms.