I will admit to having a thoroughly unhealthy obsession with Peeps, which forces me to buy at least four packages a year; two to eat fresh, two to let go stale. I think it goes back to my childhood when my big sister used to steal my Peeps, and now I’m overcompensating by eating as many as my stomach and teeth will allow.
Because I don’t have any dietary restrictions that aren’t self-imposed, I don’t worry overmuch about scarfing down the full-sugared Peeps. However, this year the Peeps company, Just Born, is introducing two new products: St. Patrick’s Day green Peeps, and sugar-free Peeps made with Splenda.
Linda Cole of the St. Petersburg Times wonders, “But if there’s no sugar, just what’s in the Peep?” Well, Mr. Tidbit from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, who says he finds the new Peeps “disturbing,” can answer that:
Not disturbing because sugar-free Peeps are sort of a crime against nature, though they are, but because they consist largely of maltitol, isomalt, polyglycitol syrup and sorbitol —”sugar alcohols” required to carry a warning that excess consumption may have a laxative effect.
Brave enough to actually perform a taste test, the blog 20 Little Toes reports:
“This is not anything remotely like a normal Peep. It reeks of strong vanilla scent and the aftertaste is just awful. The texture isn’t soft and fluffy at all, in fact it’s almost rubbery.”
Several other blogs also want the laxative effect of these Splenda-stuffed sweetmeats noted.
That aside, I drink a lot of Diet Coke on a nearly hourly basis, so I am clearly not preservative-free. I was just starting to think about giving these Splenda Peeps a whirl when I came across this post from the Orlando Sentinel blog:
The Splenda Peep lacks the required sugar crust and does not do well for those (LIKE ME) who prefer an aged Peep. The outer covering is smooth, with no discernible grit and has strange looking translucent flakes. It made me sad.
No lovely crunchy crust? Sorry, Peeps, that’s a dealbreaker.
Doesn’t sound good at all! But I just wanted to clarify that it’s not Splenda that has a laxative effect, it’s all the sugar alcohols, especially maltitol that cause the problem. Splenda by itself is not a sugar alcohol and normally does not cause any digestive problems.
I saw them previewing them at the All Candy Expo last summer … the package heralds that they contain “Splenda” but it’s the sugar alcohols that cause the laxative effect (as Chowpatty also pointed out).
Have you seen these new Peeps items?
Peeps Lollipop Rings
http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/item/peeps_lollipop_rings/
Peeps Pop Sliders
http://wiscandy.blogspot.com/2007/03/these-werent-what-i-pictured.html
My quote from the Star Tribune illustrates where the laxitive effect comes from — I never said it was Splenda.
Yes, the quote from the Star Tribune clearly states that the laxative effect comes from the sugar alcohols. However, your own text later says “Several other blogs also want the laxative effect of these Splenda-stuffed sweetmeats noted”, which does seem to implicate the Splenda rather than the maltitiol etc.
Ha ha. I actually bought the sugar-free peeps to photograph for my blog but I couldn’t resist trying one.
Let’s just say it was kind of like chewing on artificially sweetened lint, fresh from the dryer.
So very wrong…
How are the new cocoa-dusted ones?
We were hoping to do a peeps eating contest in the office (how many can you fit in your mouth) but it was shut down due to safety concerns. =(
Being diabetic I am thrilled with the new peeps. My neighbor brought me some from Philly last week and I love them. Mind you, I am used to that disgusting after taste! So, if you are not diabetic-you are lucky-enjoy the real ones!! Oh and do watch the malitol intake-I try to stay away from it as much as possible!