Friday, Jul 24, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ
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GENERAL

The Claim

Pepsi Max has been rated as better tasting than Coca-Cola Zero in blind taste tests and opinion surveys conducted globally.

The Short Version

Available taste tests show mixed results: a few small or Pepsi-sponsored trials find Pepsi’s zero-sugar cola preferred, but independent evidence is scarce and limited to a handful of countries. Most large-sample or impartial studies either do not involve Coca-Cola Zero or report no clear winner. Because the claim implies a verified worldwide consensus that the public rates Pepsi Max better, it overstates what the data support.

Caveats

  • Main supporting taste tests are Pepsi-funded promotional events lacking independent methodology.
  • Several cited studies compare the wrong variants (Pepsi Max vs Coca-Cola Regular) or different product names (Pepsi Zero Sugar vs Pepsi Max).
  • Geographic coverage is confined to a few markets; no representative global survey substantiates the claim.

The Receipts

  1. PEPSI® CONFRONTS A DECADES-LONG COLA RIVALRY IN SUPER BOWL LX SPOT AS A POLAR BEAR DISCOVERS HIS TRUE LOVE OF PEPSI IN A BLIND TASTE TEST - PR Newswire

    PR Newswire

  2. AFTER PROVING PEPSI® ZERO SUGAR OUT-TASTES COKE ZERO SUGAR, PEPSI WILL EXPAND ITS ICONIC PEPSI CHALLENGE WITH MORE TOUR STOPS IN 2026 - PR Newswire

    PR Newswire

  3. The Coca-Cola Wars: Can Anybody Really Tell the Difference?

    JSTOR Daily

  4. Pepsi Expands Pepsi Challenge Tour in 2026, Zero Sugar Leads Taste Tests Nationwide

    Candy Industry

  5. Pepsi MAX crowned as the nation's favourite cola in the Taste Challenge

    Britvic

  6. Brand Analysis: Coca-Cola vs Pepsi

    Infegy

  7. Coke Zero Vs. Pepsi Zero: We Resolve The Modern-Day Cola Wars - Tasting Table

    Tasting Table

  8. We blind taste tested Pepsi and Coke to see which is really the best - Liverpool Echo

    Liverpool Echo

  9. Mikä sokeriton kokis on paras? Coca-Cola Zero, Pepsi Max ...

    MTV Uutiset

  10. To Study the Consumer Preference Between Coca-Cola and Pepsi in Rajkot City

    International Journal of English Language Studies

+ 8 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

Coca-Cola ZeroPepsiCoPepsi MaxThe Coca-Cola Company

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