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Pepsi vs Coca-Cola: What's Behind America's Fierce Soda Loyalty
The rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi has been ongoing for generations.
A person's preference for one soda over the other likely involves a combination of factors, including differences in ingredients and marketing efforts.
Coca-Cola contains no citric acid, whereas Pepsi does, and slightly more sugar per 12-ounce serving, about 41 grams to Coke's 39.
A report by trade publication Beverage Digest revealed that Classic Coke was the top-selling soda in the U.S. in 2025, accounting for 18.5% of carbonated soft drink sales volume.
A team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine studied the Coke and Pepsi preferences of 67 people back in 2004 using blind taste tests and brain scans.