One industry expert says Vanilla Coke is 'not working'

Instead it is to replace them with Diet Coke With Cherry to add to its existing Diet Coke With Lemon and Diet Coke With Lime flavours in the UK.

Coca-Cola now expects to maintain three fruit flavours in the Diet Coke range.

Analysts say the firm is trying to lure those turned off sugary soft drinks and looking for diet or health beverages.

"This means that Vanilla Coke has been doing badly and it is not working and not having the visibility that there is a decent chance that it will work longer term," said Manny Goldman, a San Francisco-based beverage industry consultant.

In afternoon trade in New York shares in Coke were up 15 cents at $42.70.

'Transition year'

In July, Coca-Cola saw an increase in its second quarter profits of 9%, on the back of strong sales in Mexico, China and other markets outside its US base.

The Atlanta, Georgia, firm said it earned $1.72bn in the three months to the end of June, compared to $1.58bn in the same period a year ago.

The world's largest soft drinks company had seen profits fall in the first quarter as North America sales slowed.

But chairman and CEO Neville Isdell said 2005 remained "a transition year".