Diet Rite is a brand of no-calorie soft drinks distributed by the R.C. Cola company (now part of Dr Pepper/Seven Up, Inc., which in turn is part of Cadbury-Schweppes plc). Diet-Rite Cola was one of the first commercial diet sodas to be nationally distributed. It was introduced in 1958 and initially released as a dietetic product, but was marketed to the general public as a healthful beverage in 1962. The original formula was sweetened with cyclamate and saccharin.

By 1969, the Food and Drug Administration banned cyclamate, forcing the beverage to be reformulated. Diet-Rite was reformulated in 1983 to eliminate sodium, making it the first sodium-free diet soda. In 1987, with saccharin losing popularity with the public as a possible carcinogen, Diet-Rite was once again reformulated, this time replacing the saccharin with NutraSweet brand aspartame and eliminating caffeine. In the 1990s, several fruit-flavored varieties of Diet-Rite were introduced. In 2000, the line was reformulated yet again, this time to replace aspartame with Splenda brand sucralose and Sunett brand Acesulfame potassium. It became the first major diet soda in the United States to use neither aspartame nor saccharin as a sweetener. In 2002, some flavors were slightly adjusted and the brand name lost the hyphen, becoming Diet Rite. In 2005, "Pure Zero" was added to the name.

Brand portfolio

• Black Cherry Pure Zero
• Cola Pure Zero
• Golden Peach Pure Zero
• Kiwi Strawberry Pure Zero
• Red Raspberry Pure Zero
• Tangerine Pure Zero
• White Grape Pure Zero

Cadbury-Schweppes soft drinks | Cola | Diet sodas | 1958 introductions