Letter to Lipton

(Lipton Tea is GOOD for you?)

Don' t know what's up with my food kick lately, but I had to send this little comment to Lipton:

"Hello,

I was in a local store the other day and saw something that looked great. Green Tea with Citrus from Lipton. I bought a whole case because I like tea and know the benefits of drinking it.

Put it in the fridge and opened one to drink. My taste buds were immediately greeted by the tongue coating, throat drying nastiness of High Fructose Corn Syrup... The lowest grade of sweetener you can buy. The healthy promise of antioxidants was nullified by Lipton's cost consciousness. Why not use Fructose or Cane Sugar or even NO sweetener at all? Aren’t your consumer’s worth more than the cheapest sweetener?

Well... Lipton got my money this time; shame on Lipton. But, going forward I'll be looking harder through Lipton's veil of health in the guise of fancy wording and packaging. I WON'T be buying anything with HFCS in it. Perhaps enough Americans will wake up and do the same and maybe then manufacturers will respect us enough to use higher quality ingredients. "

Let's see what they have to say in response.

***UPDATE***

Well... Here's their lame, canned reply:

"Hi Steve,

Thanks for writing!

Many factors are considered during development of each product include taste,
texture, nutritional value, ability to retain flavor and quality, as well as
consumer convenience in usage and preparation.

Lipton uses only those ingredients needed to provide desired flavor,
appearance, consistency and nutritional value to its food products, and then to
maintain those qualities during storage and use.

In order to produce good-tasting foods, Lipton also makes use of latest
research to select ingredients that provide desired qualities. Our research
staff continues to review existing products and develop new ones. This ongoing
program provides Unilever consumers with products of only highest quality and
value. We will certainly report comments to Research and Marketing staffs.

Thanks for your interest in our products!
Your friends at Lipton"

Funny how friendly their reply was. "Hi buddy! Yeah nutritional value blah blah. Thanks sweetheart! Love ya!" I expected something with a little more substance in response to my message, which was:

"I was in a local store the other day and saw something that looked great.
Green Tea with Citrus from Lipton. I bought a whole case because I like
tea and know the benefits of drinking it.

Put it in the fridge and opened one to drink. My tastebuds were
immediately greeted by the tongue coating, throat drying nastyness of High
Fructose Corn Syrup... The lowest grade of sweetener you can buy. The
healthy promise of antioxidants were nullified by Lipton's cost
consciousness. Why not use Fructose or Cane Sugar or even NO sweetener at
all? Arn't your consumers worth more than the cheapest sweetener?

Well... Lipton got my money this time; shame on Lipton. But, going
forward I'll be looking harder through Lipton's vail of health in the
guise of fancy wording and packaging. I WON'T be buying anything with
HFCS in it. Perhaps enough Americans will wake up and do the same and
maybe then manufacturers will respect us enough to use higher quality
ingredients."

Which translates into "You dirty cheap bastards! What are you trying to do?! KILL ME! Hiding a gun in a bouquet of flowers. You should be ashamed of yourselves!"

Well, poop on 'em! I'm not spending money on that crap again.