Artificial sweeteners in everything now?

[Catcatcat12]

Anyone else notice how the regular version of sodas such as San Pellegrino and Schweppes mixers now all have sugar AND artificial sweeteners? Not the diet or slimline versions, the regular ones.

They taste awful, and it’s not advertised clearly on the can or bottle unless you read the ingredients list. I feel I can’t yet the classic versions of hardly anything anymore other than Coke and similar beverages.

I rarely drink soft drinks, I have the odd san pellegrino and I use ginger ale or lemonade in my Pimms, so when I do enjoy one of these drinks I’d like for them to taste nice. Aside from the taste issue, I’d also rather avoid all artificial sweeteners if I can, so I find it annoying that they seem to have changed the recipes for all these beverages in their ‘classic’ non diet options to contain a mix of sugar and other sweeteners.

I would like for both options - regular and diet - to be available, and I would like it clearly labelled when an artificial sweetener has been added.

anyone else?

Point in case. This is a can of regular ginger ale, not diet. It tasted awful so I read the ingredients list only to find sucralose and acesulfame k

I completely agree, sweeteners have spoiled so many drinks for me as I can’t stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. No more pimms and lemonade for me either 🙁

I hate artificial sweeteners - apart from tasting vile, they upset my stomach. It is very hard to find soft drinks in particular that don't contain them.

Hard agree. I hate 'natural' sweeteners such as stevia, too.

Revolting stuff. Just give me a bit of normal sugar or, preferably, none at all! 😫

They had to get round the sugar tax. So to keep it sweet they use more sweetners.

Yes, it's a trial to find an sweetener free soft drink if I want something non alcoholic at the pub or similar.

Pretty much all sweeteners give me the runs so I try and avoid completely, I'm coeliac so used to studying packaging. Have to watch out for "No artificial sweeteners" as often that means stevia instead.

Marks and Spencer still do a sweetener free lemonade as do Waitrose last time I looked. Fentimans do a ginger ale.

The infuriating thing is I'd be quite happy to pay the extra for the sugar tax but you're not given the option. A lot of the brands are still sweetener free in Europe, you can still get original Ribena in Denmark. San Pellegrino is still sweetener free in some places.

I agree. I only drink soft drinks on occasion and avoid artificial sweetners, but it is getting more difficult to do. I guess it will make me healthier though as I just won't drink them at all.

I blaim the sugar tax.

It's a migraine trigger for me. So unless its fruit juice mixed with fizzy water I am tot touching it

I blaim the sugar tax.

It's a migraine trigger for me. So unless its fruit juice mixed with fizzy water I am tot touching it

Yup, they taste like shite.
San pellegrino is off my list and I used to LOVE it!

*sweetener

Sweeteners give me gastric issues so I check labels. I haven't found any ice pops this year which don't have sweetener, shame as they are cheap!

Drives me mad as sweeteners are a terrible IBS trigger for me. I'd happily add an extra zero onto the price of a bottle of tonic water if it meant it didn't give me diarrhoea.
Absolutely give people the choice but that choice should include a sweetener free option.

I’m with you
it’s the sugar tax.

I have Roses Lime Cordial as it’s still as it was.
Fever tree and Fentimanns still no sweetness. Even Lucozade has re formulated - I’ve heard that diabetics are upset because it was the best thing if you needed sugar (lots of glucose in it too)

what can we do though? Sugar was/is cheap and was used for bulking food- god only knows what they have replaced it with in things like baked beans now.

Fever Tree don’t ever use sweeteners in their drinks. They have lots of interesting soft drinks now, like blood orange soda, grapefruit soda etc. as well as their tonic water. It’s expensive though!

I drink Bottle green cordials with fizzy water - last time I looked there was no artificial sweeteners in it. M&S do a couple of drinks too, and Fentimans, like a PP says.

Artificial sweeteners make me feel ill, and they aren't good for your body, I don't understand introducing a sugar tax, because sugar is bad, then replacing sugar with something equally bad!

Grapefruit soda sounds lovely, will have to have a look for that

Agree.
I don’t think I’m one of those supertasters but I always get that bitter aftertaste peculiar to artificial sweeteners.

If I fancy a sugary soft Drink I stick to Coke or Appletizer. Those Bottle Green cordials are nice too.

Definitely the sugar tax. But like pp say, I don't mind paying extra for the occasional soft drink if its going to taste good. That's why on the odd time I fancy one I have a fat coke. I've got no time for all these fake sweeteners. They taste horrible, and are no better for you than sugar. (might be better for teeth?)

Totally with everyone else on this; I cannot BEAR sweetener of any description. I rely on: full sugar lemonade from either M&S or Waitrose. Premium tonic water from Lidl or Fevertree. High juice squash from Waitrose, Roses Lime Cordial. San Pellegrino Classic Taste (only in orange and lemon) available in quite a few places, including Home Bargains.

Appletize is amazing
Also the Fentiman's ginger mentioned upthread.

I agree OP. I won't touch bloody sweeteners. I made my cordial this year, so I can actually drink something natural .

I used to love Lilt on a warm day, until they ruined it.

<sad sigh>

Indeed. We don't really drink squash, fizzy drinks etc but when we do want something like this I make my own lemonade, takes 5 mins, dilute with water or soda for a treat.

Yes, it's been going on for years. The sugar tax has a lot to answer for 😒.
My DD & to a degree myself too are very intolerant to artificial sweeteners & bar capri sun's & expensive organic squashes, or bizarrely coke or water which she's not keen on, we struggle to find safe drinks for her, especially when out & about