To be annoyed about artificial sweeteners in absolutely everything

[squarecorners]

I'm not a health food nazi at all. I love a Bernard Matthews cheesy hamwich as much as the next slummy mummy but I do make about 70% of our meals from scratch. I just think we should be informed and have a choice about what we consume. I noticing more and more that artificial sweetener is now the default option. In McDonald's they only do sprite zero now- I had a bout of sickness a few weeks ago and needed a boost and literally could not buy anything that wasn't boosted with artifical sweeteners. When I've eaten out recently I could taste sweeteners in the food, I even found one of my favourite cooking sauces has sweeteners added (it's like a Worcester sauce type thing).
I'm convinced this will end up like trans fats (oh fuck I've just said trans on mumsnet, take cover...) where the food manufacturers used them as a cheap solution to getting rid of saturated fat but found out they are actually worse. Without becoming a complete organic hippy how the hell do we go about getting convenient food that isn't full of aspartame?

YADNBU - I get so frustrated that over 90% of teh squash available is no added sugar - I would much rather have the sugar than the yucky after taste of sweeteners. And now they've messed with ribena :(

Ugh, don't get me started on ribena, it's bloody awful now.

I completely agree OP. Pisses me off no end. I can ALWAYS taste artificial sweetners in a drink - I'm a big girl - give me back my sugar!

McDonald's have sold sprite zero for the last five years. It isn't new.

I do agree though. Morrisons cafe now only sell sugar free drinks which wasn't a great help to my diabetic mother.

I totally agree with you. I think it's likely to be a ticking time-bomb healthwise. With the 'sugar tax' coming in the UK this year, I imagine more manufacturers will be chucking it in.
I also hate coffee shops who only use sweetened soya milk. If I wanted sugar in my coffee I'd add it myself. Starbucks is a prime offender. Fortunately I don't like their tax evasion or stores, so wouldn't give them my business anyway.

I agree. Why can't I, a responsible (ish) adult be allowed to buy squash with sugar in it and none of those bitter tasting sweeteners. Ditto fizzy drinks. By all means have the no added sugar stuff as well, but not get rid of the other stuff altogether. I don't drink a lot of squash or fizzy but occasionally I like a glass or two, esp if hungover (fizzy) or as a refreshing drink in the summer. I loved Sainsburys apple and mango squash topped with soda water and a sprig of mint, but its ruined now :(

I can see why as a nation we need to cut sugar and I agree with the sugar tax but I get really annoyed with these no sugar juices.

questionablemouse I knew they have had it a while but I didn't realise until recently that zero was their only option.

I hadn't realised until recently because I a massive tea drinker and I usually have tea over pop or squash.

Absolutely hate sweeteners! Fake, chemical sugar just screams cancer.

I'd rather natural sugar anyday.

It's only going to get worse with the sugar tax.

ITA - DD has poorly controlled epilepsy and we notice that food dyes can send her into orbit. The evidence on the effects of artificial sweeteners on absences (which she has) is not clear to us, but I don’t see why the nanny state seeks to deny us the choice of sugary drinks, when she has a very rare condition, and we can guarantee if we give her a non sugar version of a well known fizzy drink, she will have a seizure! Don’t get me started on the evils of fizzy drinks either, because DD has to have some pleasures in her life, otherwise her life is not worth living for her!

My mum has an allergy to artificial sweeteners. There isn't many options. Waitrose offers some full sugar drinks.

I recently removed absolutely EVERYTHING from my diet with Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners in it... I went through my cupboards, checked everything and if it had it in it, it went in the bin! The difference within a few days was major! More energy, less aches, less fatigue, less "brain fog" - more able to focus, felt better, didn't crave sweet stuff as much, sleeping better, lost weight... my partner has since done the same and he's reporting less joint pain and less fatigue. I'm absolutely convinced that artificial sweeteners are toxic, or at best, no better or healthier than the sugar they are used to replace.

YANBU. I have IBS, and without doubt the biggest trigger for me has always been artificial sweeteners. Sorbitol being the main offender. I wanted to buy a small bottle of flavoured water the other day and every single one was filled with sweeteners. IMO they are bad for you, isn't there a school of thought that says some of them might cause cancer?

Also, we NEED some sugar in our diets! Cutting it out completley is unhealthy.

I would challenge anyone here to provide any reputable evidence that artificial sweeteners cause any sort of ailments, especially cancer. Aspartame is one of the most-studied foodstuffs of all time, and has been proven time and time again to be safe. What more can people want?

Sugar, on the other hand, is not harmless

Aspartame is one of the most-studied foodstuffs of all time, and has been proven time and time again to be safe

Well that's not true because its impossible to prove that anything is completely safe. No scientist would ever state that as a conclusion.

But the fact is that aspartame tastes disgusting so a lot of people don't want it in their food and drink.

I had what I thought was a fully leaded Fanta today. It was vile. Read the ingredients and it now has sweetness due to reducing its sugar by 30%.

Yanbu. I hate sweeteners and would prefer my kids to have proper sugar in moderation rather than artificial sweeteners, but that choice is being taken away.
A couple of years ago I went on a diet and started having a can of Pepsi max as a treat on an evening . I found myself starting to massively crave it to the point of feeling addicted. I stopped myself having it completely and for about a week I had the worst headache. Ive never drunk it since. I've never craved a full sugar drink so it wasn't the sweetness/caffeine. It's quite worrying.

Well my NHS Gastro consultant is insistent that I avoid all artificial sweetners (and I also have to avoid gluten free products too) - he'd prefer I avoid transfers too but he said that was just a preference the other two were medically required...

I’ve also really struggled to find a squash without sweeteners in it for DS. I finally found two Ribena ones but I’m guessing they won’t be around much longer. I hate the taste of the sweeteners in the new irn bru. I would much rather pay the extra money and have the choice than have it made for me.

OP sorry but artificial sweetener is easy to avoid.

Even McDonands sell fresh orange and water.

I went through my cupboards, checked everything and if it had it in it, it went in the bin!

What sorts of things? I don’t think I have anything in my cupboards with aspartame in except a bottle of squash.

I'd just rather have the choice to be able to have treats without sweeteners, without having to have a completely joyless life. Artificial sweeteners do taste foul and that's my main issue with them, but I do think lab tests don't compare with the entire population being able to reasonably avoid them in a "normal" diet. Like I said I've found them in cooking sauces, deserts, drinks, soup, all sorts.

squarecorners YANBU. I dislike the taste of artificial sweeteners and avoid them like the plague. I'm happy to pay the sugar tax for the very occasional time I have a soft drink, I'm an adult with capacity to make my own choices. Artificial sweeteners will be a massive health scandal in a few years.

Totally agree. Why manufacturers can't just use less sugar and allow us to get reacquainted with food/drinks that aren't sickly sweet is beyond me.