An image shared on Facebook more than 4,700 times claims PepsiCo is canceling the Mountain Dew product line over long-term health concerns.

Verdict: False

A spokeswoman for the company told the Daily Caller the claim was “not true whatsoever.” The executive officer quoted in the image appears to be a fictional character.

Fact Check:  

The internet is replete with misinformation about consumer products. In this particular case, the meme makes a dubious claim about PepsiCo production of Mountain Dew, a popular soft drink. (RELATED: Hoax Claims That Pepsi Products Are Infected With HIV)

“Due to the increased evidence of drinking our line of Mtn Dew (sic) products has been shown to adversely affect health over long periods of use, we have decided to discontinue production of these products,” the post credits PepsiCo Chief Product Officer Niwrad Eiknarf with saying. “Production will cease as of June 31, 2020 and availability will be limited to stock on hand until it is deplenished.”

However, the Caller didn’t find media reports of parent company PepsiCo cancelling the Mountain Dew product line. There isn’t any mention of such action in PepsiCo’s 2019 proxy statement or other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PepsiCo hasn’t published a press release announcing the move either.

Further adding to the post’s dubiousness, PepsiCo details its executive officers on its corporate leadership page, and chief product officer is not one of the positions listed there. Eiknarf appears to be a fictional character.

Kristen Mueller, a spokeswoman for PepsiCo, told the Caller that the post was “not true whatsoever.”

The Centers for Disease Control recommends limiting consumption of soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Frequent intake of these drinks can increase the risk of contracting a number of negative health conditions, including obesity, diabetes and tooth decay, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.