Shoppers asked ‘what have you done’ after Rowntree’s beloved sweets ‘taste like soap’

Shoppers were left wondering ‘what have you done’ after discovering Rowntree’s beloved sweets now ‘taste like soap’.

Nestlé, owner of the confectionery brand, has been bombarded with complaints on social media about its Fruit Pastilles and Jelly Tots.

Nestlé was bombarded with complaints that its fruit pastilles “taste like soap”Credit: Alamy

Shoppers also complained that the same thing happened to Jelly Tots.

X users have written to the food and drink giant to say lime-flavored green candies “now taste like soap and perfume”.

Writing on the platform, one angry customer said: “The greens taste like soap – I used to love them.

“I thought it was a one-off bag, but I got some more and they’re the same, like disinfectant.”

Another asked: “Why do green fruit pastilles suddenly taste like soap and perfume?

“They were really Good and lime. I can’t get rid of the taste now. »

A third shouted: “What did you do to Jelly Tots?”

“I bought two packets recently, as well as a packet of Fruit Drops, and they all taste like soap?? You ruined them!

“The green ones, once a favorite, now the worst! I thought it was just a dodgy package!”

While a fourth said: “Did @Rowntrees change the recipe for fruit pastels? The greens taste like detergent!”

Another curious buyer asked the manufacturer if the change in taste was the result of a change in the recipe.

Which chocolate bars have been discontinued in the UK?

But a Nestlé spokesperson confirmed to The Sun that there have been no recent changes to the recipe for the chewy, fruit-flavored sweets.

They added: “We know how passionate fans are about Rowntree products and we are committed to ensuring they remain appetizing, deliciously moist and taste just as good.

“If consumers have any feedback, we would like them to contact us using the contact details found on the back of each packet.”

The fruit pastilles are available in five flavors: lemon (yellow), lime (green), strawberry (red), blackcurrant (purple) and orange (orange).

They are known for their bright colors and tart, fruity taste, which contrasts with recent complaints from buyers.

A bag of 1435 sweets costs £1.25 at Poundland and up to £1.75 at Waitrose.

They contain 350 calories per 100g.

Meanwhile, Jelly Tots flavors include lemon, lime, orange, black currant and strawberry.

Jelly Tots also cost between £1.25 and £1.75 for a 150g sachet and contain 347 calories per 100g.

No more customer complaints

This isn’t the first time customers have taken to social media to complain that a popular item tastes different than before.

Heinz was recently criticized for changing the ingredients of its baked beans with sausages.

The classic flavor now comes with Richmond sausages, which contain glutenous wheat proteins.

But the previous sausages contained Heinz bangers, gluten-free and suitable for celiacs.

Shoppers called the change “cheap and disgusting”.

Costa Coffee has found itself in hot water for replacing the freshly ground coffee in its smoothies with instant coffee.

Customers of the major coffee chain have branded the change a “shrinkage” and complained about the taste of the “vile” and “horrible” new recipes.

Coca-Cola tweaked the Fanta Orange Zero Sugar recipe earlier this year.

The soft drinks giant sweetened its sugar-free alternative Fanta Orange with just two ingredients: acesulfame K and aspartame.

However, the brand’s “new and improved” Fanta Zero Sugar soft drink now contains several different sweeteners which are likely to explain the change in flavor.

And fans of the drink were left furious at the change.

One of them shared:

Speaking to

“Phenomenal downgrading of the old one.”

Why do recipes change?

ANALYSIS by James Flanders, The Sun’s chief consumer reporter:

Food and beverage manufacturers are known for tweaking their recipes.

This is often said to be due to changing customer tastes.

There are several reasons why this could be done.

For example, government regulations, like the “sugar tax,” force companies to change their recipes.

Some manufacturers might choose to modify their recipes to reduce costs.

They may opt for a cheaper alternative ingredient, especially when ingredient costs increase, in order to keep prices the same.

A major element that has caused many changes in recent years is the heated debates surrounding the use of certain sweeteners.

Soft drink giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have long relied on the use of aspartame to give their sugar-free alternatives that sweet flavor without the extra calories.

Discovered in 1965 by American chemist James Schlatter, aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than granulated sugar.

This low-calorie sugar substitute can be found in soft drinks, gelatin, confectionery, desserts and sugar-free cough drops.

It is also used to enhance the flavor of baked and canned foods, powdered drink mixes, candies and puddings.

However, the use of aspartame in foods and beverages has been debated for decades and has also prompted some companies to remove this compound from their products.

Last year, the World Health Organization’s cancer arm deemed the sweetener a “possible carcinogen” but acknowledged it remained safe to consume at currently agreed levels.

Fanta’s removal of sweetener from its sugar-free alternatives is not a first.

PepsiCo removed aspartame from some of its soft drinks in 2015, but quickly reintroduced it after customers complained.

Last August, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I tweaked the flavor of its flagship energy drinks Lucozade Original and Orange.

Although the amount of sugar in each bottle remains unchanged, the supplier has replaced the sweetener aspartame with sucralose.

Once again, fans of the iconic drink were left furious.

It will be interesting to see if Fanta’s new sugar-free recipe holds up now that fans of the soft drink are already angry.

Despite the warning about aspartame, I think it is very unlikely that it will disappear from our drinks anytime soon.

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