The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

3 December 2006

Returning to the fold

Seattle-based Jones Soda Co., which, like most manufacturers of soft drinks, switched from cane sugar to high-fructose corn syrup for cost reasons, will switch back to the real stuff in 2007, with the complete product line, including its non-soda drinks, reformulated (re-reformulated?) by summer.

Jones CEO Peter van Stolk, on the change:

It's better for you, it's better-tasting and, overall, it's better for the environment.

Jones Soda is a treat. It's an indulgence. If you are going to sell a treat, you should make people feel good about it. Pure cane sugar has a different taste. It's a cleaner taste, and people feel good about it. It's a little thing. But in the beverage industry, it's really challenging to do.

And you gotta believe a guy who can sell sodas in Green Bean Casserole and Turkey & Gravy flavors knows from "different taste," right?

My one regret, of course, is that Jones, all by itself, isn't big enough to persuade the government to abandon sugar-price supports.

(Via Girlhacker.)

Posted at 3:21 PM to Worth a Fork


Not sure why he would say sugar is any better for you than HFCS, because it's not. Maybe it tastes different to people (I have never been able to taste the difference) neither is healthier than the other.

Posted by: Toby at 4:28 PM on 3 December 2006

I noticed some other product having made that same change recently, but it didn't register with me because I did not recognize it as a (possible) trend. Now I'll be looking for it.

Posted by: Mister Snitch! at 5:10 PM on 3 December 2006

Oh, yeah, sugar price supports. Don't get me started. Well, if we're really going to move toward ethanol, methanol, alcohol or anyhol, sugar will have a whole new market. (Gee it used to be putting sugar in someone's fuel tank was a BAD thing.) With some inspired political horse-trading, sugar prices might finally join other commodities to rise and fall based on consumer demand, as it should. Then we can move on to reforming dairy and rent control. Don't get me started on them, either.

Posted by: Mister Snitch! at 5:15 PM on 3 December 2006

If they're switching back, it should be un-reformulated.

Posted by: sya at 9:30 PM on 3 December 2006

I thought of de-formulated, but that suggests a bit too much randomness.

Posted by: CGHill at 7:16 AM on 4 December 2006

Maybe it tastes different to people

Believe me, it does. Though actually what bothers me about HFCS is the aftertaste. It's more pronounced than saccaharin's, and without the virtuous feeling that at least you were drinking a "diet" beverage.

Posted by: McGehee at 9:26 AM on 4 December 2006