Pepsi will discontinue its mid-calorie cola, Pepsi Edge, by the end of the year due to sluggish sales. The beverage was introduced last summer as a lower-calorie alternative to its flagship cola.

Dave DeCecco, a spokesperson for Pepsi, said, "Consumers are more interested in zero-calorie diet (soft drinks)."

The drink contains 50% less sugar, carbohydrates and calories than Pepsi. A combination of sucralose and high fructose corn syrup was used to reduce the calories and sugar.

One year ago, rival Coke came out with its mid-calorie version C2.

Analysts and experts had questioned whether sales of mid-calorie colas would cannibalize sales of the full calorie or diet brands.

"Innovation is still very important, and people do give us credit for trying new things," DeCecco said.