To despise the rise of artificial sweeteners in soft drinks

Full fat tonic water all the way too, I agree

Totally agree. I'd happily pay a premium so that on the occasions I do treat myself to a sugary fizzy drink, it tastes flavoursome, and NOT like fizzy metallic shit.
Irn Bru got it right by selling their original recipe 1901 cans at a slightly higher price, but I'm not fussy on Irn Bru. The day Tango bit the dust I was heartbroken.

Stevia is often hidden in ‘natural flavourings’ due to a labelling loophole. Bottle Green do this and I’ve had to stop buying their products too.

I can’t stand the sweeteners either. I rarely want a sweet drink but when I do, it needs to be a full sugar one, although it’s probably not much more than once or twice a month.
If my kids are having fizzy drinks (again, rarely) I encourage the full sugar over the artificially sweetened drinks. They mostly drink water though, just not if we go out or parties etc. I know some of my friends and family think that’s wrong but I believe there’s more harm in the sweeteners.

Tonic water too! The ‘light’ versions ruin a gin!

Have spent a fortune lately on Rocks blackcurrant cordial, it's so moreish. I remember ten years ago you could get it for £1, but now it's around £3.80 a bottle.

Waitrose do lemonade without sweetener too, it just has less sugar, but no artificial nasties.

Sainsburys have recently discontinued theirs, which was one of the main reasons I ever chose them over the other supermarkets.

Oddly, the premixed cans of Pimms don’t have sweetener in them, in case of emergency!

Its also qutie interesting how many people believe the drink they are drinking is the original without sweetners, this came up quite a lot in my Lucozade thread.

It’s almost getting to the point that ppl need to make their own cordials from scratch. That is with real fruit and sugar, cook and then bottle them in the same way ppl can make jam and jellies. Great if you have the time….

Id just like a less sweet option for a lot if things.

Baked beans for example. I want to buy them ready made as home made attempts never seem soft enough. But i have a choice of:

• very sweet/sugary
• no sugar but heavily sweetened

Can i just have... less sugar. Just halve it.

Absolutely this. I started a thread the other day about proper lucozade from the 70s and why has it also gone to the dogs

But in reality I dont drink sugary drinks, I never have done. I got massively fat on savoury foods.

However, when I want a drink that isnt alcohol or tea, I want something refreshing, not with artificial sweetners but not overly sugary either. Why has it got to be one thing or the other. At home if Im having squash or an expensive lemonade (so its got sugar in it), I water it down so much, it barely counts really. I dont have that option in shops, Its either full fat coke or water

Ive also taken to drinking low alcohol beer as that is a possible option ow in pubs but I also dont always want that.

When we're in Italy and Spain they dont tolerate that shit in it.

Thanks for this about the lemonade !

I've found my people!

What I don't understand is why they can't just reduce the sugar rather than replacing it. A lower sugar version of these drinks and yoghurts might be nicer as well as healthier. Someone told me that normal Coke has nine teaspoons of sugar per can. NINE! Well, why not try a three sugar or two sugar version?

This. I find most soft drinks way too sweet, and I often dilute fizzy drinks at home. So I'm fine with them reducing the sugar - I just don't want them topping it up with disgusting sweetener, because then it's bith too sweet AND it tastes like a bin bag. (Is their core market wasps?!)

Oh definitely. It's my occasional treat when I fancy something fizzy. Normally I try and stick to water.

I’ll gat a bottle of Rocks blackcurrant next time I’m in a supermarket and try it as the Ribena is crap!

@NCnora M&S lemonade only has sugar in it, check though if there's more than one type, but I spent ages looking for one for Pimm's and lemonade at our wedding, and that was the best

Rocks cordial is also fab, best alternative to ribena, which has been ruined

There is so much evidence out there that the gut biome gets damaged by artificial sweeteners. Yet it's being ignored to avoid sugar taxes.

The gut is our defence system against disease, so if it's not working properly,our immunity is not as good as it could be.

In a covid filled world surely we need our full immunity? Or at least the choice of full fat or diet without every fucking drink being crammed full of shite.

I even saw kombucha, a gut health product, which had artificial sweeteners in it. WTAF!!!

I tried to get a cranberry juice without sweeteners and failed. They were about ten choices. All had sweeteners. In Asda. Shocking.

I write to britvic more than once to com plain about Pepsi having secret sweeteners in it. They weren't interested. The only way these companies will change is if we stop buying their product and they are forced to rethink their strategy.

One wonders if decreased immunity is what governments secretly want as covid hasn't killed off enough of us...

Who knows what the new world order is planning....

Or maybe it's just soft drink etc companies all have shares in artificial sweetener companies and want to profit....

The 1901 Irn Bru is very expensive when you can get it. It’s a good choice but it’s not an every day drink imo.

YANBU. It tastes like shit. I have a couple of Cherry Cokes a week as it's one of the few soft drinks still without.

I wrote to Barrs when they ruined Irn Bru and got the reply that tastes had changed. Then they brought in the 1901 version. Obviously tastes hadn't changed that much! Sadly it's really difficult to get in England. I always stock up when we go to visit family in Scotland.

I think my best bet is sticking to wine, sod the soft stuff!!!!

Fuck, you are right OP, even full fat Ribena is now full of artificial shite. I did wonder why it tasted crap but have only now looked at the ingredients.
Is the Rock blackcurrant cordial still ok?

Aspartame makes me quite ill. Crippling stomach cramps, searing headache etc. I got used to checking drinks some time back but now that list has grown to include toothpastes, vitamin and health supplements and even medication.

Whilst I can handle other sweeteners like acesulfame etc I find the aftertaste to be horrid so avoid them.

Lidl has a nice cherry one during polish week, no fake sugar or corn syrup. There's another flavour too.

It's dangerous because we don't know how we react metabolically to a mix of real and fake sugar, there are preliminary studies showing it might be really bad. Personally I think one or the other is best until we know.

I agree. I hate the taste of artificial sweetener and don't believe it's ok for human consumption. We mainly drink water but a nice change or on a hot day I'd like the option of a drink that isn't loaded with rubbish.
Appletise is ok.
And I LOVE Dalston press. That's just fruit juice and sparkling water and is really lovely.