Coca-Cola is testing new versions of some of its most popular soft drinks with added prebiotic fibre, as the company looks to tap into growing demand for beverages positioned around health and wellness.
The company plans to begin a limited pilot in late October across parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, offering prebiotic versions of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite Zero Sugar and Fresca. The new drinks will contain six grams of prebiotic fibre per serving and zero sugar.
The move puts Coca-Cola in more direct competition with PepsiCo, which launched Pepsi Prebiotic Cola nationwide in February. Pepsi’s version contains three grams of prebiotic fibre, five grams of sugar and 30 calories per serving, making Coca-Cola’s pilot notably different in both its fibre content and zero-sugar formulation.
While PepsiCo has taken its prebiotic soda directly to consumers across the US, Coca-Cola is initially limiting its products to selected markets. The pilot will allow the company to gauge consumer response before potentially expanding the new beverages to a wider audience.
Coca-Cola has already been exploring the functional beverage space. In February 2025, it launched Simply Pop, a prebiotic soda brand designed around the growing interest in beverages with added functional ingredients. The latest test takes a different approach by bringing prebiotic fibre into established brands that already have broad consumer recognition.
The move comes as the alternative soda category continues to expand in the US. According to Circana data, dollar sales in the modern soda category increased 83% year over year to $1.8 billion. The category is attracting consumers who are looking beyond traditional soft drinks and showing greater interest in products with attributes such as lower sugar and added functional ingredients.
The broader prebiotic and probiotic soda market is also projected to grow. Grand View Research estimates that the global market was worth $516.4 million in 2025 and is expected to reach $558 million in 2026. It is projected to grow to around $978.9 million by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8.4%. North America accounted for the largest share of the market in 2025.
For Coca-Cola, adding prebiotic fibre to established zero-sugar brands could provide a way to participate in this growing category without moving consumers away from familiar names. The company’s pilot will ultimately show whether consumers are willing to combine the taste and branding of traditional soft drinks with the appeal of added functional ingredients.
With both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo now competing in the prebiotic soda space, the category is emerging as another area of rivalry between the two beverage giants. Coca-Cola’s initial regional rollout will determine whether its new formulations are ready for a broader launch.
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