(Note: This happened around July, 2023 – I just found my notes about what I wanted to say.)
It has come to this. Pepsi has finally caved to pressure to switch to sugar-substitutes in the regular Pepsi product. I found out the hard way. There was no “new formula” label, no TV advertisements, no indication that anything had changed.
Yet, I should have seen the signs. Suddenly, instead of only being able to purchase 6 or 9 packs of regular Pepsi, suddenly, it was available in a 12 pack, and at a reasonable price! I thought this was just a nice promotion and stocked up on a few cases. I had also bought a new 6-pack not long before. It was while drinking one from the 6-pack that I noticed the taste was off. I thought it might have something to do with drinking it from a metal, insulated cup. About a quarter way through the beverage, I started feeling sick, and generally off. I checked the label and, lo and behold, they had switched part of the sugar to an artificial sweetener. The cases were promptly returned to the grocery store. The remaining cans from the 6-pack went to the office, for people less bothered by the change in taste and potential health risks.
I wrote an email to Britvic (the distributor in Ireland) and received this response
“This Pepsi recipe change is part of our ongoing work to provide healthier products across all our drinks. We have worked hard to make sure our new Pepsi maintains the great taste that people love while reducing sugar and calories.
To communicate the change, we have updated the nutritional labelling on our packaging as we know that clear and informative food labelling plays a vital role in helping consumers make informed choices. Information about the reformulation has also been published on both the PepsiCo and Britvic websites.”
By updating the label, they mean the ingredients list. No mention, whatsoever, anywhere else on the product, that it’s a new formula.
The other thing is their statement, that the change was to make the product healthier, is nonsense. Soft drinks are never going to be healthy, and for some people, like myself, artificial sweeteners are actually more dangerous. They did it so the product avoided the sugar tax and would, hopefully, sell more product.
As I’ve stated in my previous post, whoever, their taste testers are, they are failing miserably, as it does NOT taste the same.
As a non-coffee drinker, and I can’t stomach enough tea to get the same caffeine hit, I now have no options in Ireland. If I haven’t slept well and need that boost, I’m out of luck. On my days off I can take a nap, but that’s not an option on work days.
I still have a few cans left that I’m rationing, but when they’re gone, they’re gone.
The other knock-on effect this has, is going out to eat. There is no longer any fizzy drink that I can order, so I just end up ordering water. A loss of revenue to restaurants and pubs.
If only governments and health professionals put more effort into education instead of regulation, we could be spared the side-effects and health issues of artificial sweeteners – they are potentially more dangerous than the sugar itself.
Note that while doing some research, I found out that they tried substituting artificial sweeteners for part of the sugar in the US and there was such an uproar, they switched back. Unfortunately, in a smaller country like Ireland, there isn’t the same critical mass to make that change.
So I put together my ten commandments for sugar, as I view this demise of sugar soft drinks in Ireland and wherever else they have forced their will.
SUGAR COMMANDMENTS
- Thou shalt be allowed all the icing encrusted cake as thou desirest.
- Thou shalt be allowed a plethora of chocolate bars, deep fried or otherwise.
- Thou shalt be allowed an unending supply of cookies/biscuits, single, sandwich or double stuffed.
- Thou shalt be allowed buckets of boiled sweets.
- Thou shalt be allowed copious cups, bowls, and cones of ice cream, gelato, and sorbet.
- Thou shalt be allowed as many white, milk, and dark chocolate truffles as thou canst afford.
- Thou shalt be allowed countless caramels and toffees, both hard and soft.
- Thou shalt be allowed to gorge thyself sick on flavored fudge.
- Thou shalt be allowed a St. Patrick’s Day parade of sugar teaspoons for thine tea and coffee.
- Thou shalt NOT be allowed artificial-sweetener-free fizzy drinks.
MusingMirror 2 
R.I.P. Regular Pepsi in Ireland
(Note: This happened around July, 2023 – I just found my notes about what I wanted to say.)
It has come to this. Pepsi has finally caved to pressure to switch to sugar-substitutes in the regular Pepsi product. I found out the hard way. There was no “new formula” label, no TV advertisements, no indication that anything had changed.
Yet, I should have seen the signs. Suddenly, instead of only being able to purchase 6 or 9 packs of regular Pepsi, suddenly, it was available in a 12 pack, and at a reasonable price! I thought this was just a nice promotion and stocked up on a few cases. I had also bought a new 6-pack not long before. It was while drinking one from the 6-pack that I noticed the taste was off. I thought it might have something to do with drinking it from a metal, insulated cup. About a quarter way through the beverage, I started feeling sick, and generally off. I checked the label and, lo and behold, they had switched part of the sugar to an artificial sweetener. The cases were promptly returned to the grocery store. The remaining cans from the 6-pack went to the office, for people less bothered by the change in taste and potential health risks.
I wrote an email to Britvic (the distributor in Ireland) and received this response
“This Pepsi recipe change is part of our ongoing work to provide healthier products across all our drinks. We have worked hard to make sure our new Pepsi maintains the great taste that people love while reducing sugar and calories.
To communicate the change, we have updated the nutritional labelling on our packaging as we know that clear and informative food labelling plays a vital role in helping consumers make informed choices. Information about the reformulation has also been published on both the PepsiCo and Britvic websites.”
By updating the label, they mean the ingredients list. No mention, whatsoever, anywhere else on the product, that it’s a new formula.
The other thing is their statement, that the change was to make the product healthier, is nonsense. Soft drinks are never going to be healthy, and for some people, like myself, artificial sweeteners are actually more dangerous. They did it so the product avoided the sugar tax and would, hopefully, sell more product.
As I’ve stated in my previous post, whoever, their taste testers are, they are failing miserably, as it does NOT taste the same.
As a non-coffee drinker, and I can’t stomach enough tea to get the same caffeine hit, I now have no options in Ireland. If I haven’t slept well and need that boost, I’m out of luck. On my days off I can take a nap, but that’s not an option on work days.
I still have a few cans left that I’m rationing, but when they’re gone, they’re gone.
The other knock-on effect this has, is going out to eat. There is no longer any fizzy drink that I can order, so I just end up ordering water. A loss of revenue to restaurants and pubs.
If only governments and health professionals put more effort into education instead of regulation, we could be spared the side-effects and health issues of artificial sweeteners – they are potentially more dangerous than the sugar itself.
Note that while doing some research, I found out that they tried substituting artificial sweeteners for part of the sugar in the US and there was such an uproar, they switched back. Unfortunately, in a smaller country like Ireland, there isn’t the same critical mass to make that change.
So I put together my ten commandments for sugar, as I view this demise of sugar soft drinks in Ireland and wherever else they have forced their will.
SUGAR COMMANDMENTS
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About musingmirror
A writer of many genres, always in search of creative inspiration.