Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero

In the previous post, I mentioned that Coca-Cola Zero Sugar (Coke Zero) has more potassium than Diet Coke. Since I was running out of Coke Zero, I went to Albertsons and picked up some Diet Coke (3 cases of 12/12 oz. cans for $9.99 + CRV). I was hoping they had other flavors but all they had was the “regular” Diet Coke. Anyway, here is the nutritional label from Diet Coke’s website:

Compare this to the one for Coke Zero:

At first glance, the two labels looks nearly identical. However, Coke Zero added a line for potassium content. There is not too much at 60 mg or 2% of DV, but I drank a lot of it last week. Maybe that has to do with the uptick in my potassium test results? Also, both have some caffeine but not as much as a cup of coffee (12 oz. contains ~150 mg). I probably should start drinking Caffeine Free Diet Coke instead.

==========

Coke Zero also contains potassium citrate, which appears to be a food preservative. It also contains acesulfame potassium, which is a sweetener. Both of these are not found in the ingredient list for Diet Coke. Interestingly, both beverages contain aspartame, a common sweetener. So it appears that Diet Coke only uses one sweetener, while Coke Zero uses two different sweeteners.

==========

Now I am wondering why Diet Coke does not contain a food preservative. There is a date at the bottom of the can. This particular can says MAY1021, which probably means May 10, 2021. I need to check if the Coke Zero can has a date, and if it is further out due to the food preservative.