Dr Pepper Snapple joins Stevia-sweetened beverage stampede

NEW YORK Fresh off news that its two biggest competitors plan to launch new diet beverages containing a new sugar alternative made from the plant Stevia, Dr Pepper Snapple Group announced Thursday it also plans to join Coke and Pepsi, and expects to launch a similar beverage product containing the new alternative sweetener.

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Stevia-based sweeteners in foods and beverages.

The sweeteners, made from the leaves of a South American shrub, will provide natural alternatives to chemical sweeteners like Equal and Splenda.