Erin Seils| Science and Technology Editor

If you haven’t heard already, A.G Barr are changing their Irn-Bru recipe and Scotland is outraged!

The sugar content is being reduced by approximately 50% replacing sugar with sweetners including Aspartame. Due to the “sugar tax” which will come into place in April this year,

Over 48,000 Irn-Bru fans have signed a petition on Change.org in an attempt to make Barr rethink this decision. However, Barr has now confirmed that full-sugar Irn-Bru is no longer in production.

Supporters have several different reasons from health concerns about the artificial sweetner, Aspartame, to simply the love that many Scottish people have for the drink.

“Aspartame is lethal! Worse for you than sugar.”

“If people want to buy sugar drinks its their choice … alternative is to buy diet or sugar free .. leave the recipe alone”

“Aspartame is a known carcinogenic. What a backwards move to make, not to mention loosing the original flavour to this cheap chemical! No thank you”

“You cannie just take our heritage away from us like this”

If Irn-Bru had kept the their old recipe a 2 litre bottle could cost as much as 48p more while cans could cost around 8p more due to the sugar tax. Would you be willing to pay the price?

Several of those who signed the petition said they would:

“Great change it for more artificial sweeteners that cause toxins to build up in the body causing MS type symptoms . Think I’d rather pay the sugar tax or better still fund research into non harmful sweetness”

“I love our other national drink and I don’t mind the sugar tax as it’s my special treat. Please do not change our Irn bru”

“They have already introduced sugar free and it’s pur choice if we want the full sugar one. I personally would pay more anyone worried can take the cheap sugar free option”

Ryan Allen who started the petition, “Hands off our Irn Bru” has said,

“I’ve got 24 glass bottles in my loft that will do me for emergencies.”

And he’s not the only one who’s been stockpiling Scotland’s other national drink while it can still truly be called “Original and Best”.

A supermarket in Irvine has stocked up on over 3000 bottles of the popular fizzy drink before the new recipe is rolled out.

Not to worry though, if you haven’t got a stash of the old stuff, Irn-Bru posted this message to put fans’ minds at rest.

As Irn Bru have said, 9 out of 10 people said they’ve “got an excellent or a good taste match” and this certainly seems to be the case.

Dazza from BBC The Social says he “cannae tell the difference” after comparing the “new wan”  to the “auld wan”.

Capital Scotland’s Garry Spence agrees.

The new recipe is expected to be avaliable in shops at the end of this month so if you want a final taste of the “auld wan”, or want to save a bottle for old times’ sake, you should get to the shops ASAP!

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