What is Simply Pop? Coca-Cola enters the prebiotic soda market

Coca-Cola is stepping into the emerging prebiotic soda market with its own line of soda alternatives. 

According to The Coca-Cola Company, Simply Pop will come in five flavors and will be available in some markets by the end of February. Here’s what to know. 

What is Simply Pop? 

What they're saying:

Simply is a new line of prebiotic sodas from The Coca-Cola Company.

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They’re made with 6 grams of prebiotic fiber designed to support gut health and Vitamin C and Zinc to support immune function.

According to Coca-Cola, there’s no added sugar and each can contains 25-30% real fruit juice from concentrate. They come in five flavors — Strawberry, Pineapple Mango, Fruit Punch, Lime and Citrus Punch.

What is prebiotic soda? 

The backstory:

Prebiotic sodas are typically lower sugar soda alternatives that claim to boost gut health with added fiber. Probiotic products are made up of healthy bacteria to help with gut health, but prebiotic sodas contain fiber that humans can't digest. They’re designed to help the microbiome, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Prebiotic sodas contain the plant-based fiber inulin, which is an ingredient in certain fruits, vegetables and grains. The inulin in fiber-enhanced drinks typically comes from agave or chicory root.

As a soluble fiber, inulin dissolves in water, so you don’t feel or taste it in the soda. You can also buy inulin supplements in tablet, gummy and powder forms.

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Prebiotic sodas are among the frenzy of functional beverages – drinks designed to do more than just taste good or hydrate. What started in the late 1980s with caffeine- and vitamin-laced energy drinks like Red Bull has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Hundreds of brands are vying for consumers’ attention with increasingly exotic ingredients and wellness-focused marketing.

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In the U.S., sales of functional beverages jumped 54% to $9.2 billion between March 2020 and March 2024, according to NielsenIQ. That was faster than the 43% growth for the non-alcoholic beverage market overall. Functional beverages now make up about 10% of the total U.S. non-alcoholic beverage market.

When will Simply Pop be available? 

What's next:

Simply Pop will be available later this month at retailers in select regions and online nationwide via Amazon Fresh. The brand will expand to additional markets nationwide throughout the year, according to Coca-Cola.