Coca-Cola is replacing Coke Zero with a new recipe

If you’re a die-hard Coke Zero drinker, you might not be ready for this news: Coca-Cola is getting rid of Coke Zero and replacing the sugar-free soda with a new recipe, and the swap will be taking place by the end of this summer.

According to the Coca-Cola Company, the new sugar-free option—called Coke Zero Sugar in the United States and Coke No Sugar in other markets—contains the same ingredients as Coke Zero, but comes closer to replicating the taste of a classic, regular sugar-filled Coca-Cola.

The new recipe has actually been out for some time already: Coke Zero Sugar and Coke No Sugar began launching in European and Latin American markets last year.

“We’ve used our in-house innovation capabilities to make the great taste of Coke Zero even better and a lot like a Coke,” Stuart Kronauge, business unit president of USA Operations and senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “It’s delicious, refreshing and our best-tasting zero-sugar Coca-Cola yet.”

That might be true—but Coke Zero fans have been enjoying the same drink for over a decade now, and many of them are not happy about the recipe switch.

On Twitter, fans expressed their outrage at the swap:

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https://twitter.com/WorldOfStu/status/890230474995642370

Others made the comparison to Coke II or “New Coke,” the reformulated version of classic Coca-Cola that was released in 1985 and quickly despised by loyal Coca-Cola fans. (The company released the original Coke formula as “Coca-Cola Classic” a few months after New Coke’s debut.

Whether you’re looking forward to a soft drink with a fresh flavor or racing to the store to stock up on Coke Zero before it’s gone for good, the recipe change is coming—and it’s happening ASAP.

The new Coke Zero Sugar will hit shelves in the United States as soon as August, so get ready to meet the new soda sooner rather than later.

If you’re wondering about the difference between Coke Zero, Diet Coke and Coke Zero Sugar, here’s a breakdown of their ingredients. All three sugar-free Coke drinks use aspartame as a sweetener, but Coke Zero and Coke Zero Sugar also use acesulfame potassium as a sweetener.

Diet Coke

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzonate, natural flavors, citric acid, caffeine

Artificial sweetener: Aspartame

Coke Zero

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, aspartame, potassium benzonate, natural flavors, potassium citrate, acesulfame potassium, caffeine

Artificial sweetener: Aspartame and acesulfame potassium

Coke Zero Sugar

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, aspartame, potassium benzonate, natural flavors, potassium citrate, acesulfame potassium, caffeine

Artificial sweetener: Aspartame and acesulfame potassium

 While the ingredients in Coke Zero and Coke Zero Sugar are identical, it’s unclear how the proportions in the actual recipes may have changed.