to think the new Ribena formula tastes disgusting

[BlackeyedSusan]

with a nasty aftertaste.

I would rather pay the sugar tax on it.

I am swapping to another brand of squash.

I hate that we have been forced into not buying sugar containing products. Consuming of sweeteners gives me terrible cramps.

I FB messaged Ribena the other day after buying a bottle which just tasted awful. Before I read the ingredients I knew it had sweeteners in. This was their reply:
"Hi, Ribena has always moved with the times but has always stayed true to its Ribenariness. This is another step on that journey."
I left the bottle in the fridge, but not wanting to waste it, and thinking I was just being precocious, I tried it again, but ended up pouring it down the sink.
I just don't like the taste of sweeteners, drinks with them in seem like they don't quench my thirst at all. And haven't they proved that diet drinks actually make you eat more?

This annoys me so much. With out reading ingridients i know if something has sweeteners in as it gives me worse headache.

They have prooven sweeteners neurologically are not good for you. Hense why things like fybro and ms where practically unheard of in the past. But so common now.

You can't blame the manufacturers. They didn't introduce the sugar tax. If the retailer and consumer don't want a price rise at the till, then they either have to replace some sugar with sweeteners or make the bottle smaller.
There's not a massive margin in soft drinks at the manufacturing level, so expecting them to absorb the sugar tax would result in them going out of business in many cases (I accept not the likes of Coca Cola, but there are a lot of smaller companies out there).
You could have a go at making your own cordial, it's easy enough, I've done it on occasion when I've had a glut.
Probably the best outcome is that consumer pressure will force retailers to re-introduce some no added sweetener options, but they'll be more expensive and if consumers won't buy them because of the price, they'll disappear again.

With the rocks cordial I buy it and freeze it in ice cube trays.

One cube with water for the kids, 2 for me.

I knew as soon as I opened a new bottle of Ribena and tasted it that they'd done something evil to it. I've been drinking it since I was a child, and it's now just not right. I'd happily pay more to have the proper original version, sugar and all, and have emailed them to tell them so. Maybe if they get that message from enough people they might introduce 'Ribena original' or something - my husband's hoping for something similar with Irn Bru!

Can't the manufacturers just gradually wean customers off over-sweetened products by reducing the sugar and not replacing it with artificial sweeteners? It's the nation's sweet-tooth that needs looking at - deal with that and the level of sugar consumption will go in due course.

Nor really hilarious because sugar tax would still apply until they got below the threshold.
Also the sugar acts as a preservative, so they would also need to add sorbate or another artificial preservative to counteract the loss of sugar.
By reducing sugar but adding sweeteners they can use acids to drop pH and stop mould / yeast growth. That way they don't need to use as much preservative.
If they dropped sugar and added acid, it would be too sour for the consumer.
It's a balancing act, you can't just remove one ingredient without adjusting others.

www.heraldscotland.com/news/11920517.Poisoning_alert_over_hazelnut_yoghurt/
This is a famous example. The formula of the hazelnut puree was changed to reduce sugar, but the thermal process wasn't adjusted ( canning) to take account of the missing preservative effect of the sugar.

My kids have a glass of Ribena on Friday & Saturday nights as a treat.

I will not be buying it again now that they have switched to sweeteners. It tastes revolting.

I'll be buying Rocks from now on.

I think some manufacturers are going to get a shock when their sales plummet.

That's really interesting Weeds. I think the effect the sugar tax has had on me in that I'll be drinking more water and hunting for elderflower heads and buying citric acid in the coming weeks! I can stockpile homemade cordial in the freezer.

I love home made elderflower cordial ( and champagne) hilarious. I must try to find time to make some this year too.

This is such a bugbear of mine. I want to be able to control the amount of sugar I have rather than put all these artificial sweeteners into my body. I drink very diluted squash as do my children and we seem to now be limited to the 50% high juice from Asda and Sainsbury’s as that all I can find without any sweetners added. We soon won’t have a choice at all. Really hate all the sweetners in everything.

I have never seen Rock before, not sure they sell it in my part of Scotland.

You can make cordial out of loads of fruit. I make bramble cordial some years and also Elderberry cordial (if I get to them before the birds). Elderberry cordial also supposedly has anti-cold and flu activity.

we've stopped buying it.

I try to avoid sweeteners because it makes my fibromyalgia worse. I have changed to Belvoir now and it is lovely - much better than Ribena was!

I find it ridiculous that you can buy as much alcohol as you want but can't buy a sugary drink anymore 😂

Didn't realise they have added sweeteners to Ribina. I am unable to eat them as they cause headaches and ibs. Have been fruit since I was a little girl. Will not buy it again.

Ribena not Ribina

it just taste of sugar and water ribena so yeah it should be sugar tax use to really enjoy ribena but hate juice and fuzzy drink now.
If you're addicted to ribena at least it tasting nasty will help lol

This is so frustrating. We normally have only water to drink in our house, so when we do get juice or cordial it's for a special occasion and I want it to taste good, damn it.

Artificial sweeteners are revolting and I avoid them like the plague. I guess home made isn't a bad option now. Home made lemon cordial is really yummy as a PP said.

I don't understand all the complaining. You don't need squash. Drink water instead. ( I realise that OPs son is a rare exception )

Loopy the complaints are that Ribena was one of the last cordials that didn't have sweeteners in. I am intolerant to them and occasionally like a Ribena with sparkling water. I don't drink alcohol so this was my treat. There is already a sugar free Ribena.