to think that food manufacturers should be forced to use the phrase 'with artificial sweeteners' instead of 'no added sugar'

[MistyValley]

as gullible people may think that they are making a healthy choice when in fact they aren't.

It's downright misleading, many's the time my PFB has been offered squash at a friend's house with the mother saying 'it's okay, it's a no added sugar one'.

It may have no extra sugar, but it's sure as hell packed with dodgy chemicals to make it taste sweet and nasty you loon.

"sweet" is not a flavour, it doesn't taste OF anything except sweet, so its not accurate to say its a flavour (or to include it in flavours)

Until the food standards agency, WHO, BMC, etc declare Aspartame unsafe, I will not be getting hysterical about it.

If you dont like the flavour, dont have it, you shouldn't need a label to spell it out because your tastebuds will tell you.

There's a childhood obesity epidemic, children can consume an extra 200 calories a day easily by having juice and milk instead of water or calorie free drinks. Fine if they are thin as a rake but if they are anything else its just exposing them to this risk along with other factors of course.

YABU

I can't believe there aren't better solutions to childhood obesity than getting children to drink 'calorie free' drinks rather than natural juice or milk.

Good point Mila. My dc are 10 and 7 and again no tooth decay and no weight problems - and I never knowingly give them artificially sweetened foods or drinks. They have probably had them at birthday parties and at grandparents, but I do not want them to be a part of their normal diet.

Mrspoc - what findingstuff said :)

no added sugar doesn't a;lways mean bad chemicals - most uk own brand drinks us Sucrose as a sweetener :)

I check and double check every drink DD is given Asparteme is horrendous stuff and sets her off her trychtilomania (hair pulling out). the stuff causes some reaction which irriates her scalp and she starts messing with her hair which leads to chunks of hair being pulled out. This has been proved by the Paediatrician as being the cause it's not just me saying it.

YABU. Aerificial swetmers are in the list of ingredients. Also squashes with added sugar often have sweetners aswell as the extra sugar.

why is there so much of this stuff in food/drinks ?
It tastes vile .
dont understand why its in everything from juice to cerials.
It activly stops me buying food with this muck in it.
i will not feed this crapola to my kids.
id rather they had a tiny amount of sugar , than loads of sweeters.

Gordy do you mean Sucralose
Sucrose is sugar, innit?

Artificial sweeteners are widely used because they are cheaper than sugar, not because food manufacturers are worried about our waistlines or teeth. Without exception they taste vile and taint anything they are added to.

Gordyslovesheep - sucrose is sugar.

Artificial sweeteners give me the squits!!

I do mean Sucralose - sorry - but NOT aspartame which is my point - tired typing!

Sucralose is Splenda, basically. Its less "contraversial" than Aspartame. Aspartame is "nutra sweet" and the like. (I think)

I'm in the "if the FSA says its okay, I wont run a mile" brigade - that said most of what we have is in a fairly natural untampered state in this house.

I just dont run across the room, fly through the air in slow motion with a doppler effect "nooooooooooooooo" as my PFB reaches for a discarded beaker of Robinsons No added sugar summer "fruits"...

Oh, and if it weren't for slimline tonic, I would weigh 17 stone.

it's based on fruit sugars is it not? ie a bit less chemically or have I been duped by the name?

Yes I believe so

Another one to look out for that is becoming more widely available is Xylotol. Its more calorific than most "sweetners" (which are virtually zero calorie) but said to be one of the most "natural"

Stevia root is another I believe, I think its quite common already in toothpaste and mouthwash (which is worrying!) but said to be preferable if choice is available...need to google that in case something has changed...

Its a chlorinated sugar compound! Yikes. Haha.

bollox that sounds fooking natural then thanks x

The whole "chemical" thing makes me laugh, a bit, though.

I went to an Aveda salon for some bleach highlights. The technician was waxing lyrical about how the bleach they use is "99% natural"

I said, compared to what?

I said, it is bleach, though? Hydrogen peroxide, essentially?

"Sort of" she said, looking confused.

I said, well, it must be if it can strip colour from my hair in 45 minutes flat.

"Yes" she wavered.

"Dont worry" I said, its H202, basically an extra atom to that of water. Its natural!

She looked at me like I'd asked her to spell Chrysanthemum...

YANBU

and to be honest so many of the drinks WITH sugar ALSO have nasty manky sweeteners

perhaps with sweeteners
with sugar and sweeteners
with just sugar would be better

all robinsons normal squash (not the no added sugar) contain aspartane... and so the NON LIGHT versions of lilt / sprite.

In fact most squashes that arnt highjuice or sainsburys, weather with added sugar or without added sugar contain sweeteners

GRRRRRRRRRR

also found aspartane in light / diet type yogurts and even in a certain flavours of crisps

Have you tried the Rocks Organic though? Its sugar only but its like fooking syrup.

But its natural.

Hell, if they are thirsty they will drink water I guess, if you are worried. They will be teenagers soon and will mainline red bull and Maccyd's so you dont have to worry forever...

I LOVE Rocks cordials.. yum yum

but dilute them with lots more water than cheaper squashes

We have Rocks and it's fab,you only need a small amount,lasts for ages.

I switched to Rocks for a while - the kids hated it and DD2 had 2 fillings!

it's a tough call - cancer inducing evil badness V tooth rot!