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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be hacked off with manufacturers tampering with our food?

118 replies

recklessgran · 14/02/2018 23:37

Is it just me who is fed up with the changes being made to our food in the name of averting the obesity crisis?
Just opened a packet of Nice biscuits to find that they have NO sugar sprinkled on them anymore. That is the last straw!
Can't find ricicles either - apparently withdrawn due to sugar content.
I am not obese and think I am grown up and informed enough to make my own decisions about the food I eat thank you government. In fact, we eat very healthily but like the occasional treat....
Don't believe I'm the only one that feels this way - looking at you Robinsons for withdrawing normal squash - now all sugar free and full of chemical sweeteners.
Just needed a little rant as am outraged at not being allowed to decide for myself.

OP posts:
ChocoholicsAsylum · 15/02/2018 10:28

Of course I am aware about other health issues and not just obesity when it comes to suger however thats barely mentioned in these regulations... its targeting childhood obesity bla bla... there is other factors that can affect diabetes/heart conditions etc than suger one is NOT eating lol oh we can go on and on... the point of this thread is we dont have choice now... its only suger free on alot of things now and thats not right. I am new to this so dont know how to reply to certain people x

MikeUniformMike · 15/02/2018 10:33

I think it's good that they changed chocolate. It's not worth eating now. Saves me a fortune.

Graphista · 15/02/2018 10:35

I am new to this so dont know how to reply to certain people

@chocoholicsasylum

Putting @ before username boldens the name and means poster gets an email alert that someone has addressed a post to them

ChocFudgeLover · 15/02/2018 10:46

I'm not convinced it's a bad thing. When you compare big branded products to supermarket/other brands they often have a hell of a lot more salt, sugar etc in them.

ChickenPaws · 15/02/2018 10:55

My elderly residents used to end up with chronic diarrhoea with the sugar free squash and pop the home used to buy.

Diarrhoea in the elderly easily leads to dehydration and UTIs as well as leaving them feeling uncomfortable and increasing falls and sore skin.

MikeUniformMike · 15/02/2018 10:59

I'm not convinced that what they replace the sugar with is not worse for you than sugar. Artificial sweetener is horrible.

AntArcticFox · 15/02/2018 11:02

But there have been extensive tests..

MorningsEleven · 15/02/2018 11:05

I agree- better to remove the sugar from all the foods which shouldn't have it in the first place (pasta sauce etc). Everyone knows that biscuits and cakes are sugary and should be eaten in moderation
I couldn't agree more.

Graphista · 15/02/2018 11:06

Re "extensive tests" by whom? Funded by whom? I strongly suspect the manufacturers of artificial sweeteners.

MikeUniformMike · 15/02/2018 11:10

Probably.
IME the 'healthy options' type of biscuits and things are not worth buying or eating. If I want a biscuit, cake or packet of crisps, I don't want a piece of artificially flavoured cardboard.

liltingleaf · 15/02/2018 11:14

mint, Sorry, yes I meant Type 2. I realise type 1 is not caused by eating too much sugar or obesity. I stupidly assumed people would know I meant Type 2. Sorry that that has not been your experience.

MintChocAddict · 15/02/2018 11:14

chocoholicsasylum and wonderlime"

Type 2 diabetes!!!!! not 'diabetes'

It's really not that difficult to differentiate between the two

AntArcticFox · 15/02/2018 11:17

I was having a wee joke at the expense of a previous poster about all the research.

I personally want to avoid artificial sweeteners as I don't have a crazy fizzy drink addiction ( which should be dealt with and not just moved on to lo-cal versions and I don't think artificial sweeteners bring any value to my life or health.

It doesn't need to be a conspiracy theory to be fed up of having to scour labels and find nothing suitable in huge aisles of drinks.

MintChocAddict · 15/02/2018 11:19

Thank you lilting Flowers

Just a reminder for people how frustrating it can be for type 1 families when the term 'diabetes' is thrown around during discussions about obesity when it's a horrible autoimmune condition with no known cause and know cure.

MintChocAddict · 15/02/2018 11:20

Sorry no cure

ChocoholicsAsylum · 15/02/2018 11:29

@Graphista

Thankyou

@MintChocAddict

I too assumed people knew.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 15/02/2018 11:29

But there have been extensive tests..

And doctors know that artificial sweeteners have a laxative effect and that for those with bowel conditions the reaction is often extreme and dangerous to health.

I also have to avoid many ‘natural’ food stuffs but that is much easier to do than avoiding the artificial sweeteners.

MintChocAddict · 15/02/2018 11:37

chocoholicsasylum

No it's depressing how many people appear not to know.

We just have to teach our Type 1 children who deal with their chronic health condition on a daily basis how to respond with dignity when idiots ask them if they've eaten too many sweets.
Sigh.

Luxanna · 15/02/2018 11:42

We are fast heading towards processed foods being completely inedible thanks to various pressure groups, politicians after some extra tax revenue, busybodies, sheep who've been reading unreferenced unreliable bullshit on social media or on the web site of a nutcase and/or master bullshitter who's rather coincidentally selling something related to your dietary interests.

All this food tampering, and dietary social engineering for that matter, seems also to often lead to all manner of unintended consequences, many of which remain to be discovered IMO. Look into skimmed milk and homogenisation for examples of this. Look at the whole butter v margarine fiasco.

So many people seem to want food with no food in it, if that makes sense. Why eat nutritionally void foods so you can eat a tonne of it, because overeating often comes with low fat/sugar from what I see as these cut back foods often don't satiate the appetite. Why not just eat a little of something that will satisfy instead of loads of mass marketed crap.

It's only my opinion, and I could be wrong, but I think the supermarket shelves are already heaving with "fake food".

I'm semi convinced with a lot of it that the fucking box would taste better.

I started baking my own bread 11 days ago because I could not find shop bought bread or rolls that didn't smell slightly like the mealy scent of dry pet food. I think it's the soya flour they're adding to all of it in order to aid the absorption and retention of profit enhancing amounts of extra water.

My homemade loaf tastes great, is easy to make once you realise you don't actually have to knead it till your hands drop off, has no weird stuff in it, is easy and pleasant to chew and swallow, leaves me feeling full but less bloated, I eat less of it. On top of that I have lost 4lb in a week.

AntArcticFox · 15/02/2018 11:46

I keep meaning to make more bread. I have a kneading attachment on a mixer so it is easy.

Graphista · 15/02/2018 11:51

Luxanna so true.

I think a big part of the problem is that we tend to follow USA food/product trends rather than that of much heakthier countries.

Just look at the miniscule amount of floor space for the green grocery, fresh meat and dairy sections compared to eg 2 full aisles of crisps, biscuits, fizzy pop!

Yet when you visit mainland European food shops the balance is the reverse. Far more square footage for fresh natural food and less for processed junk.

ObscuredbyFog · 15/02/2018 11:58

It's such a shame that sweeteners are put into all sorts of drinks without there being a sugar option.
I can't stand the taste, so have never had it, but for the whole supermarket drinks aisle to be swamped with it is just a farce.

Own brand tonic was the latest thing to be a no in our supermarket last week, looks like only Fever Tree and a few more expensive ones will be an option from now on.

It will be interesting to see how many people just reject the artificial products, if sales slump drastically, manufacturers may get the message.

More irritatingly, it's in a lot of liquid medicines.

SingleTakenOliviaBenson · 15/02/2018 12:03

Wait, Nice biscuits no longer have sugar on them?!!! BASTARDS AngryAngry

liltingleaf · 15/02/2018 12:11

What I would like is less sugar but absolutely no artificial sweeteners. I actually would like prepared food and drinks to be less sweet. Most of it is inedible. I cook from fresh but would love it if fruit yoghurts could just have a teaspoon equivalent of added sugar in. Same with soft drinks. Some I think contain about 12 sugars per glass or something ridiculous. I don't have them but my D.C. might if we were put. I had a fruit scone in hospital the other week and it was ridiculously sweet. Like a cake.

liltingleaf · 15/02/2018 12:12

Out not put. Typo.