No more Splenda at WDW?

[Carolanne]

I think this is the right forum, but I apologize if it isn't.

I checked into Pop Century on 5/20. I went to the food court for lunch, got my unsweetened iced tea, and when I went to get Splenda I found packets of "yellow sweetener"' in its place. I thought maybe it was a one off, but each restaurant I've been to doesn't have Splenda, only "yellow sweetener".

I've also noticed: instead of Equal they have "blue sweetener" & instead of Sweet & Low they have "pink sweetener".

At first I thought they were generics of the brand names, but when I read the pack of a few packets, it appears they're all NutraSweet's version.

I searched on the boards but couldn't find anything (I'm a little tired from a very long day, lol), but has anyone heard anything about Disney going exclusively w/NutraSweet products? I was here in November & there wasn't any of this yellow, blue, & pink sweetener nonsense going on then.

Disney (and NutraSweet): I am not pleased:mad:. Not likely that it will matter, but I'll let WDW know that I'm not thrilled with this switcheroo. And I guess I'll have to start packing my own Splenda.

[BrerGnat]

Is the "yellow sweetner" sucralose? If not, what is it?

[Carolanne]

I do remember seeing sucralose listed as one of the ingredients. I'll check out the yellow sweeteners & the others at breakfast.

[lightyearfan]

becareful splenda is known to cause brain cancer, and im confused but is it that important to have splenda instead of nutrasweet? maybe wdw pulled splenda because of the high and known cancer risks ?

victor

im also shocked that this would bother you so much sorry

[Urbss]

becareful splenda is known to cause brain cancer, and im confused but is it that important to have splenda instead of nutrasweet? maybe wdw pulled splenda because of the high and known cancer risks ?

victor

im also shocked that this would bother you so much sorry

Victor,

Where are you getting this information. I've never heard of this before. My wife (who uses Splenda, is a Pharmacist and is pretty geeky when it comes to what she will and will not ingest) said she researched different sweetners and that there are no know links to cancer with any of these brands.

I'm just curious if you could tell me where I could look up more info on this.

[Dznygrl79]

While this is off topic, as the question was is there real Splenda in the world, I can safely answer that splenda has been found by the fda and National Cancer Institute to be safe. A doctor named Janet Hull wrote a book called Splenda Toxicity that cause some wide spread panic. At this time there is no definitive answer as to the long term affects.

But for the real question I do not remember seeing real or brand name sweetners in a while. However check the ingrediants list sometimes when you buy from a larger supplier its cheaper to use the non name brand with the same ingrediants.

Have a fun trip

[BrerGnat]

ALERT:

I just did a google search and found that the ingredients in "yellow sweetener" by Nutrasweet are:

ASPARTAME and CANE SUGAR

It is NOT sucralose. There was actually a lawsuit filed by Johnson and Johnson (makers of Splenda) against Nutrasweet due to this discrepancy. Basically, they allege that people "assume" that anything in a yellow packet is going to be Sucralose (and that anything in a blue packet is Aspartame=Equal; and pink=Saccharin, or Nutrasweet).

This is sort of a big deal, as many people do not want to ingest Aspartame (myself included) because of it's known health risks.

Plus, Nutrasweet basically is putting aspartame in ALL the "colored" packets, along with what ingredient that packet is known to contain. They call them "proprietary blends."

At this point in time, SACCHARIN has been proven to be the safest artificial sweetener, as Sucralose has not been in use long enough to judge long term effects (and one of the issues with it is how much Chlorine stays in your body vs. how much is eliminated...no one knows).

I think I'll continue to stick with REAL sugar, which is probably a lot healthier than any of these packets anyway, especially in the small amounts needed to sweeten coffee or tea.

That is a bad move by Disney. It's very deceptive, and OBVIOUSLY a cost cutting measure, as they probably scored a great deal from Nutrasweet to carry only thier brands and ditch the others...

For what it's worth, though, they DID have Splenda packets in the Concierge Lounge at the BC in April. DH uses it, and I remember it being name brand Splenda...

[brownie]

I'll have to make sure my bride brings extra Splenda with her when we go later this year. Thanks for passing this on!

[Carolanne]

I guess I was curious whether or not WDW had made an announcement regarding the switch. When I was here in November, it was Equal, Sweet & Low, and Splenda. Now it's all NutraSweet knock-off's.

I agree with BrerGnat: this seems so deceptive of Disney, and I really don't like that. I think it's the deceptiveness that annoys (really, shocks is the better word) the most. Maybe they felt like NutraSweet did--everyone will just assume the yellow/blue/pink packets are their respective brand sweeteners. But really, as soon as I picked up the yellow packet I thought it was a generic version, which then made me look a little more closely. You don't mess with a person's artifical sweetener, lol! This really should have been announced, or if it was announced it should have been done a little better.

Oh well, looks like DH & I will be bringing our own Splenda with us in November :D.

[tazlikesrobots]

Any "offical answer" from anyone that has visited the parks in the past few weeks?

We are going in July and my DW and DS only like SPlenda....

:confused:

[Stu29573]

This is a huge deal for me, and I'm rather angry about it. If I eat any amount of aspartame, I get a migraine. This is not my imagination (I even had an ex-wife who slipped me some in ice cream "just to see." I was in bed for a day in agony). What if I had reached for my "pink stuff" at the parks and had a reaction like that? I'm going to call Disney right now and complain, Not that it will do much good... Very bad move, Disney!

[SallyP]

Any "offical answer" from anyone that has visited the parks in the past few weeks?

We are going in July and my DW and DS only like SPlenda....

:confused:

I read Carolanne's posts as saying she was at WDW when she made the comments and noticed the packets.

[tazlikesrobots]

I read Carolanne's posts as saying she was at WDW when she made the comments and noticed the packets.

Thanks! somehow I missed that....

[Tinkerfreak]

Well this explains alot about my headaches when we were there a couple of weeks ago. If I use anything other than Splenda I get headaches. I kept getting them after drinking iced tea with what I thought was Splenda in it. I usually carry Splenda with me but when I saw the yellow packet I just assumed it was Slenda as I'm sure everyone else is doing. This makes me really mad and I am going to let Disney know about it. I thought it might have been the heat but that has never given me a headache before. Now I know what it was and I am not happy :flame:. I actually left the park a couple of times and went back to the room to lay down.

[Stu29573]

Well this explains alot about my headaches when we were there a couple of weeks ago. If I use anything other than Splenda I get headaches. I kept getting them after drinking iced tea with what I thought was Splenda in it. I usually carry Splenda with me but when I saw the yellow packet I just assumed it was Slenda as I'm sure everyone else is doing. This makes me really mad and I am going to let Disney know about it. I thought it might have been the heat but that has never given me a headache before. Now I know what it was and I am not happy :flame:. I actually left the park a couple of times and went back to the room to lay down.

My point exactly! I would be furious if this happened to me!

[BrerGnat]

Aspartame causes migraines for me too! This is why I can't ingest it. I can't even chew sugarless gum...

Luckily, Splenda is easy to travel with. They even make those little tablets...

So, in the meantime, it seems like that's what we'll have to do.

But, yeah, it's messed up. Aspartame causes problems for a LOT of people. Splenda does not cause similar problems, for me, at least. Although, I try to stay away from artificial sweeteners altogether.

[Stu29573]

I called Disney and they acted like they didn't know what I was talking about... I'm not real surprised...

[diz_girl]

This is not my imagination (I even had an ex-wife who slipped me some in ice cream "just to see." I was in bed for a day in agony).

That's cruel. Which is probably one of the reasons that she is now your ex-wife.

I'm also prone to migraines, but I just stick with plain old sugar. Thank you for bringing up this topic. I didn't know about the connection between aspartame and migraines.

[tinklover]

becareful splenda is known to cause brain cancer, and im confused but is it that important to have splenda instead of nutrasweet? maybe wdw pulled splenda because of the high and known cancer risks ?

victor

im also shocked that this would bother you so much sorry

NOt sure if this has been posted yet or not but it is NOT Splenda that causes brain cancer, it's Nutrasweet AKA aspartame. Sucrelose AKA splenda is SAFE. Google Aspartame and then Splenda and see what comes up.

To the OP thanks for posting this as I will be packing my splenda to bring with me, I can not have Aspartame it gives me Migraines. No Brain tumor as of yet Just the Migraine.

[Stu29573]

That's cruel. Which is probably one of the reasons that she is now your ex-wife.


Yep! :thumbsup:

[PopPhan]

Q: Is aspartame safe?

A: After reviewing scientific studies, FDA determined in 1981 that aspartame was safe for use in foods. In 1987, the General Accounting Office investigated the process surrounding FDA's approval of aspartame and confirmed the agency had acted properly. However, FDA has continued to review complaints alleging adverse reactions to products containing aspartame. To date, FDA has not determined any consistent pattern of symptoms that can be attributed to the use of aspartame, nor is the agency aware of any recent studies that clearly show safety problems.

Carefully controlled clinical studies show that aspartame is not an allergen. However, certain people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), and pregnant women with hyperphenylalanine (high levels of phenylalanine in blood) have a problem with aspartame because they do not effectively metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine, one of aspartame's components. High levels of this amino acid in body fluids can cause brain damage. Therefore, FDA has ruled that all products containing aspartame must include a warning to phenylketonurics that the sweetener contains phenylalanine.


Source: Excerpted from FDA Consumer, May 1994 (Updated December 2004): Food Allergies Rare but Risky

The above statement was taken from a link on Snopes.com debunking the myth that Aspartame causes brain cancer.

[Stu29573]

The above statement was taken from a link on Snopes.com debunking the myth that Aspartame causes brain cancer.

I never said it causes cancer, I said it gives me (and a heck of a lot of other people) horrible migraines. I'm not a health nut at all, but putting something like that in my body can't be good.

[Carolanne]

No Brain tumor as of yet Just the Migraine.

LOL!

On my last night in WDW, I ate at the Coral Reef & when ordering my drink I asked the CM if they had Splenda. He pointed to the yellow packets that were on the table, I told him that it wasn't Splenda and he seemed confused. Even though I did express check-out, I stopped by the check-out desk before leaving to ask about the switch. The CM I spoke to didn't seem to have any idea what I was talking about. I have sent an email to WDW regarding the switch--not that it matters, but at least they'll know that people have noticed the switch.

[BrerGnat]

I wouldn't expect random CMs to know about this switch. I'm sure an all points bulletin was NOT sent out regarding it.

You'd likely have to speak to someone in Food&Beverage management/procurement to get anywhere on this issue.

[CU Tiger]

Splenda is the only sweetner (besides sugur) that I like. The yellow packets did not do it for me last week, so I just ordered diet coke.:mickey:

[Skippy]

Is the "yellow sweetner" sucralose? If not, what is it?

The Nutrasweet Yellow contains Sucralose and Malodextrin.

FWIW, the Backlot Express had the yellow sweetner and real Equal (but I didn't see anything pink around).

[BrerGnat]

The Nutrasweet Yellow contains Sucralose and Malodextrin.



Not according to their own website. They list the ingredients as cane sugar and aspartame...

Is this what it said on the packet? Is it Nutrasweet Brand?

This is all so confusing...

[Carolanne]

Not according to their own website. They list the ingredients as cane sugar and aspartame...

Is this what it said on the packet? Is it Nutrasweet Brand?

This is all so confusing... Hey Brer, I realized I never posted my packet findings. Skippy is right about what the packet lists. I checked out all of the packets & not one lists aspartame.

I think the brand is called Nutrasweet Swirl. I think it's a partnership between Domino (remember SugarTwin? That's the sweetner my dad used after he was diagnosed with diabetes many moons ago) and Nutrasweet.

[Carolanne]

I checked out all of the packets & not one lists aspartame. Hmmm, scratch that. I have a blue sweetener packet here & the ingredients list: dextrose w/maltodextrin, aspartame, acesulfame, and potassium; it also shows phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine.

The yellow packet that I have lists its ingredients as: dextrose with maltodextrin, and sucralose.

The packaging is pretty generic. The front of each packet almost resembles a regular sugar packet, with the the fleur de lis smattered around the front of the packet. The back of the packets reads NutraSweet Yellow/Pink/Blue above the nutrition facts & ingredients.

[Skippy]

If this can stay, here's the back of the packet (http://i48.tinypic.com/2yjq78g.jpg)

[Carolanne]

Like Skippy & others have said, it does seem like for now you can find Equal, Sweet & Low, and Splenda sporadically in WDW.

I understand, it might seem like I'm making a big deal out of nothing & I can just as easily take my own sweetener (or forgo sweetener & use sugar), but it also seems like there are others out there that a change in sweeteners (an unannounced change, at that) really does affect them. I didn't expect a press conference, but some sort of notice would have been nice. I'm glad I was able to get some kind of notice out there.

I did get a response from WDW. Not likely it will change anything any time soon, but:

"I am very sorry for your disappointment with the brand of sweetener used
at our Resort. I want to assure you that your feedback has been taken
seriously and let you know how much we appreciate your comments. Our
Guests' feedback allows for our continual growth and the preservation of
the magic Walt Disney dreamed about.'

[Chipanddale]

Hmmm, scratch that. I have a blue sweetener packet here & the ingredients list: dextrose w/maltodextrin, aspartame, acesulfame, and potassium; it also shows phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine.

The yellow packet that I have lists its ingredients as: dextrose with maltodextrin, and sucralose.

The packaging is pretty generic. The front of each packet almost resembles a regular sugar packet, with the the fleur de lis smattered around the front of the packet. The back of the packets reads NutraSweet Yellow/Pink/Blue above the nutrition facts & ingredients.

dextrose with maltodextrin

is known to cause to severe headaches/migraines

[Chipanddale]

Hmmm, scratch that. I have a blue sweetener packet here & the ingredients list: dextrose w/maltodextrin, aspartame, acesulfame, and potassium; it also shows phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine.

The yellow packet that I have lists its ingredients as: dextrose with maltodextrin, and sucralose.

The packaging is pretty generic. The front of each packet almost resembles a regular sugar packet, with the the fleur de lis smattered around the front of the packet. The back of the packets reads NutraSweet Yellow/Pink/Blue above the nutrition facts & ingredients.

dextrose with maltodextrin

is known to cause to severe headaches/migraines

It have similar effects as MSG

[BrerGnat]

dextrose with maltodextrin

is known to cause to severe headaches/migraines

It have similar effects as MSG

You know what doesn't cause severe headaches/migraines...SUGAR! ;)

I get migraines ALL the time. SUGAR is actually very useful in the early stages of a migraine (in the form of soda or juice) to alleviate the effects of fluids being lost when the blood vessels dilate. Sugar re-instates the balance of fluids in the blood and helps the blood vessels constrict. It's a recommended treatment for migraines in children, who cannot take the majority of adult prescription meds for pain. To this day, when I feel a migrine coming on, the first thing I do is drink a glass of juice, gatorade, or soda, or eat some hard candy.

[Chipanddale]

You know what doesn't cause severe headaches/migraines...SUGAR! ;)

I get migraines ALL the time. SUGAR is actually very useful in the early stages of a migraine (in the form of soda or juice) to alleviate the effects of fluids being lost when the blood vessels dilate. Sugar re-instates the balance of fluids in the blood and helps the blood vessels constrict. It's a recommended treatment for migraines in children, who cannot take the majority of adult prescription meds for pain. To this day, when I feel a migrine coming on, the first thing I do is drink a glass of juice, gatorade, or soda, or eat some hard candy.

Sugar always make me feel good when I feeling yucky!

Soda's are made mostly with High Fructose Corn syrup and sweetened with splenda.
I avoid all soda's except those made with cane sugar only.

I never use artificial sugar.
I used to use stevia. I found out I was allergic to it. It would make my ears itch and leak fluids; which would crust up.It felt like a poison ivy reaction. Did not know what was causing the problem until I got off of stevia.

[BrerGnat]

Sugar always make me feel good when I feeling yucky!

Soda's are made mostly with High Fructose Corn syrup and sweetened with splenda.
I avoid all soda's except those made with cane sugar only.

I never use artificial sugar.
I used to use stevia. I found out I was allergic to it. It would make my ears itch and leak fluids; which would crust up.It felt like a poison ivy reaction. Did not know what was causing the problem until I got off of stevia.

Stevia tastes strange. I tried that once. Gross...it had a medicinal taste to me.

I only drink sprite or ginger ale when I drink soda. Neither of them (in their regular form) contain artificial sweetners.

As for High Fructose Corn Syrup...it's still sugar. Your body doesn't really know the difference, when it comes to the basic chemistry involved. Fructose and Glucose are used by your body the same way. It doesn't matter what percentage is fructose or glucose. Sugar is sugar is sugar to your body's cells. HFCS has the same "fructose to glucose" ratio as honey!

Here (http://sweetscam.com/myths-and-facts/) is an interesting website about myths surrounding sweetners...

[BellesRose]

It's so funny that I found this thread! I was just making my list of groceries that I need to get for my upcoming Disney trip, when I made a separate note to bring Equal and Sweet'n Low in my purse at all times. I love tea and hot chocolate, but at Disney it just tastes like hot water to me. And I can never seem to find my sweetener on property! I don't care for Splenda; in fact, anything other than Equal and Sweet'n Low gives me headaches. Now I need to make sure I bring enough for the family; my mom and brother won't like NutraSweet.

On a side note:
I developed a migraine after eating some mints with some kind of sweetener when I was little. I refused to eat the mints again, but my parents didn't really believe it was related. After reading this thread, I am convinced. Oh the things I learn from Intercot :thumbsup:

[big blue and hairy]

becareful splenda is known to cause brain cancer rumor...very old debunked rumor
and im confused but is it that important to have splenda instead of nutrasweet? Simple, Splenda (or the yellow stuff) just tastes better.

:sulley:

[Stu29573]

rumor...very old debunked rumor Simple, Splenda (or the yellow stuff) just tastes better.

:sulley:

Although the brain cancer idea is a rumor, the migraine issue due to allergic reaction is true and has been well documented.

[brivers222]

coffee causes cancer depending on what day of the year you injest it. All i know for sure is no matter how "healthy" we try to be, we all die sometime.

My fiancee uses splenda so I will be sure we pack it in the car!

For me, its sugar and accept no substitutes :)