UK exclusive and Scotland national drink Irn-Bru is undergoing some pretty radical changes. With the governments impending regulations on soft drinks in the coming months, Irn-Bru makers A.G. Barr have announced that they will be cutting sugar content in the national treasure from now forward.
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Currently, the beloved fluorescent orange fizzy drink contains a total of 34g of sugar per can; yes it’s a lot, but that delicious taste comes with a cost. The new formula which is currently in production looks to cut that amount by more than half, to 15.5g per can. Everyone can appreciate the consideration in regards to sugars negative effects on the body, however people seem rather up in arms about the sugar replacement that will be cut in the recipe: aspartame.
Aspartame, found in many diet and zero sugar variations of popular soft drinks, has a negative reputation in the perception of the general public. Many dislike the aftertaste of the additive, while some even claim they have an intolerance to the chemical.
Despite the fact that producers of Irn-Bru have stated that nine out of ten people can’t tell the difference between the new variation and the original formula, people have already been swarming supermarkets and eBay to try and build up reserves of the classic version. Some original cases have even gone for as high as £52.
Is this the end of the orange fizzy drink? Will the new 65 calorie version prove to be a success? Will this fiasco go down just like the Lucozade (RIP) disaster last year? Time will tell. One thing is for sure: start building out your Irn-Bru cellar now because it could be as valuable as gold in a couple years.
