Coca-Cola has launched a new soft drink in Australia – the green-labelled Coca-Cola Life – but researchers say it is probably better for Coke’s bottom line than its consumer’s health.

The new Coke allegedly contains considerably less sugar than regular Coke (it is instead sweetened with stevia, a plant extract), but it still has 22 grams of sugar, compared to 35 grams in regular Coke.

It is packaged with a green label – research has shown people perceive food with green packaging or nutrition labels to be healthier than identical food packaged in other colours – but still has 89 calories per can, substantially more than either of Coke’s low-calorie offerings.

Professor Sandra Jones, Director of the Mary MacKillop Centre for Health and Social Research, says simply removing some sugar and replacing it with stevia does not make it healthy.

“People tend to consume greater quantities of foods they believe to be healthy, and seeing a food promoted as healthy can lead people to eat more calories,” Prof Jones wrote in an article for The Conversation. 

“This latest move by The Coca Cola Company follows its introduction of ‘portion control’ options – smaller cans of their full-sugar beverages.

“But, ultimately, many of these decisions are likely being made to increase the health of the companies' profits rather than the health of their customers.

“A look at The Coca Cola Company’s 2013 financial results shows profits from regular soft drinks are declining and sales of ‘healthier’ options are increasing.

“Perhaps the most genuine option for this and other such companies would be to cut back on the production and marketing of sweetened soft drinks and focus on selling products that are actually good for consumers,” she wrote.