Fentimans ginger beer now has Stevia in.

[Camdenish]

Just that!

Nothing on the bottle to say there has been a change of recipe. It tasted so disgusting that I checked the ingredients list. Steviol (from Stevia) in it. I know it’s not an artificial sweetener but I don’t care. I want changes labelled so I don’t end up ingesting something that tastes of liquorice and gives me headaches and messes with my guts.

I will be so sad if all Fentimans drinks go this way, it’s difficult enough getting fizzy drinks that are only sugar, no sweeteners.

I think Fentimans chose to drop this bombshell on a day when it would be overshadowed by other news. It’s a cunning plan.

I emailed them, and got a very stock answer:

Thank you for getting in touch,

Sadly, the Government has taxed soft drinks companies, more than some other food sectors. And this has put pressure on our business. Further action has also restricted how we can promote in-store, based on sugar content.

Fentimans is a small, independent, company – born and bred and still family run, in the North East of England. Unlike the large multi-national companies, the legislation has a bigger impact on us.

Rest assured, we take the taste of our drinks very seriously, and have taken 2 years to get the product just right – all tried and tested by our owner still. We believe the work we have done has maintained the integrity of our product, and we really appreciate the support of our loyal customers.

I emailed them too. I haven’t had a response.

Of course I don’t want to see a small company go to the wall. However if the company have changed the product they provide it only seems sensible and a safety issue that they tell customers that the product has changed.

We all have different tastes, I can taste sweeteners and Steviol is disgusting with a horrible after taste-to me. But sweeteners give me and my children horrible physical symptoms. I need to be warned that these have been added.

Anyhow, I’ll tell the landlord at my local inde pub of the issue and suggest the alternative of Karma Drinks. They’ll maybe not change but that’s all I can do.

I'm ok with Stevia, but I dont like the taste at all.

Aspartame I'm extremely sensitive too. A few years ago I was given tablets for something from the GP and they irritated my stomach and gave me crippling migraine. Some investigation revealed the sugar coating on the tablets actually contained Aspartame. Utter madness.

I'm extremely careful with drinks. I buy both the waitrose and M&S Lemonade and for juice I tend to buy Monin Syrups and add sparkling water to them.
Cream Soda is available in cans in Farm Foods, the American AW Brand. They also frequently have American Strawberry and Grape Fanta, both of which are sweetener free.

As for alcohol. I emailed Pimms last year to try and find what Lemonade they used in their cans, they were actually extremely helpful and I'll quote here what I was told:

Sweeteners are not permitted in spirits above 15% ABV and any products which permit the use of sweeteners are required to be labelled as such. The European Food Information Law (EC1169/2011) is clear on the labelling requirements for products where sweeteners are permitted.

Foods containing a sweetener or sweeteners authorised pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 have to be called out on pack whether used in combination with sugar or not.
‘with sweetener(s)’ this statement shall accompany the name of the food.
‘with sugar(s) and sweetener(s)’ this statement shall accompany the name of the food.

Aspartame is required to be called out specifically if used.

Foods containing aspartame/aspartame-acesulfame salt authorised pursuant to Regulation EC) No 1333/2008.
‘contains aspartame (a source of phenylalanine)’ shall appear on the label in cases where aspartame/aspartame- acesulfame salt is designated in the list of ingredients only by reference to the E number. ‘contains a source of phenylalanine’ shall appear on the label in cases where aspartame/aspartame-acesulfame salt is designated in the list of ingredients by its specific name.

In short, Pimm's has an abv of over 15% so does not contain aspartame and if we ever would use it in our lower abv products aspartame, it will be labelled on the product.

I assume this is true of all alcohol mixers in cans such as snowball, Jack and coke etc.

That is so helpful Nails, thank you. I shall feel save in buying the occasional can of Pimms this summer.

I’ve avoided buying G&T in cans as the label never states what is in the can.

I didn’t used to be able to taste artificial sweeteners but then my endocrinologist recommended I give them up for a while to see if my PCOS symptoms improved (they did, and I found it easier to lose weight). Now I can taste them so strongly I can’t believe I ever couldn’t. Leaves my mouth feeling furry, I hate it.

I’ve given up all drinks apart from sparkling water, tea and coffee and wine/beer/champagne. Everything else has been ruined!

I absolutely hate sweeteners too.

I mostly drink water or fizzy water with real lemon/lime at home now. For sweet drinks, Belvoir cordials are the best. Yum!

I do the same with Fever Tree, OP. I feel your pain. I cannot stand sweeteners, especially stevia.

I've avoided those too, but I do now buy them occasionally.
I don't drink often, and buying a full bottle of Pimms or Advocaat would be a waste so to now be able to just have the odd can is great.

Now if I could find a chewing gum that was sweeter free that would be a game changer!

So glad I found this thread. I had same experience with a Fentimans ginger beer. Drank a quarter of it on Sunday. Thought it tasted funny so left the rest. Forgot about it. Then on Monday I felt a severe migraine set in, followed by loose bowels. Couldn't think what I had done to trigger this. I lost an entire day today due to pain, light sensitivity and nausea. I feel like I've been sabotaged!

Thank you so much for the info about the cans of pre-mixed drinks. I've tended to avoid them as I was sure they would be full of sweeteners too.

Every artificial sweetener I've tried has given me terrible headaches. I bought stuff with stevia when it first launched since everyone told me it would be fine "because it's natural and from a plant like sugar is". Same thing with the headaches.

Our local shop import the American Fantas so I have some choice there at least but it's £1.50 a can so it's a rare treat. I stick to normal Coke or Irn Bru 1901 elsewhere (I could have Pepsi but I don't like it). If I fancy lemonade I get a bottle of Fever Tree in Morrisons but they don't always stock it nowadays and we don't have M&S or Sainsbury's in my town to go check them out.

It's happening with food too. Morrisons have just changed the recipe on their baked beans and have sweeteners in the sauce now too.

I’m glad this has been useful thread as it did feel a little bit of a self important niggle. But if people react to hidden ingredients like Mama reacted to the hidden Steviol then it shows that it is important. I drunk maybe 1/6 of the bottle before stopping to look at the ingredients. I had a headache but that could have been due to other causes.

There is a brand called Luscombe, they make a ‘hot’ and ‘cool’ ginger beer and other soft drinks. They don’t use sweetener. A bit pricey but if you subscribe to their marketing there’s a 10% discount code.

Infuriating. I'm another one who drinks these things occasionally and can't stand the taste of sweeteners. So many drinks I just don't have any more.

I've given up on all soft drinks. Apart from coke, I can't find anything in our local supermarkets. I've found a good cordial company (mr Fitzpatrick) so I've been buying those and sparkling water for my occasional craving.

I had a look at their FB page. Nothing but complaints from people who have been made sick through the recipe change. Aside from poisoning customers - what is worse? Paying the sugar tax - or losing half your business?

It doesn’t help when you go out, but I make my own tonic water and lemon and orange concentrates to dilute like squash or with fizzy water. The tonic is a faff but the lemon and orange is essentially the juice and some sugar syrup.

I’d prefer less of their tugging at the heartstrings with the “small family business” claim. Fentimans has for some years now been a multi million pound earner, selling internationally.

It is frustrating and I agree I prefer sugar. We drink it rarely but sweeteners are grim.

I think there will always be some niche alternatives for home but is annoying as Fentimans is widely served in cafés.

I’m such a sucker for the her strings though Mama and fell for that email completely. Now I just think they’re bastards.

From Fever Tree, I asked if they planned to change to “natural” sweeteners.

It’s not the answer I want but at least they won’t change soon. I wonder why companies can’t see that there is a demand for drinks without sweeteners?

“
Thanks for getting in touch.

We know there is a growing demand for sugar-free alternatives and we have looked at natural, zero-calorie sweeteners but haven't yet found anything quite suitable - they tend to alter the flavour of the drinks which we're not too keen on!

If we do change our ingredients it will be well communicated and always clearly listed on packaging, but I don't think it's something you'll see any time soon.

I hope that helps. “

WTF Fevertree?! What ‘growing demand’ are they on about? There are plenty of artificially sweetened shit drinks out there. The only demand I see is people like me who want good honest sugar, not ingredients that have been mucked about with. Read the room ….

I agree Worldgonecrazy.

I think we need to develop our own proper sugary pop and mixers.

It’s so frustrating. I liked the Soda Folk cherry soda so thanks for the warning.

I don’t go out too often, but when I do I love a cosmopolitan or pimms, but now I can’t drink either because lemonade and cranberry juice are both sweetener-filled. I can’t even find a cranberry juice in the supermarket now that doesn’t have sweeteners.

And I’m so fed up with pubs that give you a Coke, then when I query if it’s actually
diet they say ‘oh, we only do Diet Coke/Pepsi. A) well then tell me that, and b) why is there no choice for us reckless enough with our health to want sugary drinks!

Totally agree op.

Don't even get me started on those BASTARDS who turned Cauldron sausages into slimy disgusting vegan piles of mush! 😤🤬😡