Coca-Cola to introduce mini can

Coca-Cola is introducing a new 90-calorie mini can, designed to give consumers a better way to manage their calories. Consumers in Washington, D.C., and New York City will be the first to get a glimpse of the new, smaller package in December.

The 7.5-fluid-ounce mini can, which will be sold in eight-packs, carries the distinct Coca-Cola contour-shaped bottle image in white with a red background. Additional brands that will also feature the sleek mini can packaging include Sprite, Fanta Orange, Cherry Coca-Cola and Barq's Root Beer. The mini can rollout will expand to the rest of the country, and be well underway by March 2010, according to the beverage company.

"As the world's largest beverage company, we take seriously the need to help consumers balance calories consumed with calories expended," Sandy Douglas, president of Coca-Cola North America, said in a news release. "The Coca-Cola mini can innovation reinforces the company's support for healthy, active lifestyles."

The new package introduction comes in the wake of a recent global commitment by Coca-Cola to put calories front of package on nearly all its products. It also announced a new partnership with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, which advocates a common-sense approach to helping reduce obesity by 2015. A core objective is to remind consumers that achieving and maintaining a healthy weight are about balancing calories consumed in a sensible diet with calories expended through physical activity.

"Research shows that calories count when trying to lose or maintain weight, so this 90-calorie mini can is another way for people who love Coca-Cola to get the taste they enjoy while managing their calories -- taste, refreshment and hydration all in one can," stated Dr. Rhona Applebaum, chief scientific and regulatory officer for The Coca-Cola Co.