Is nothing sacred?

It seems that Burton’s Biscuits has opted to follow in the footsteps of the confectionary giants Cadbury and shake things up by altering the recipe of an old favourite.

However, unlike the great sultana and raisin outrage that took 2015 by storm (okay, we are being a little hyperbolic there); Burton’s move threatens to alienate a large portion of the British population.

Recent packs of Jammie Dodgers now contain milk protein in the form of whey, meaning that they are no longer suitable for consumption by either vegans or those who are lactose intolerant.

The company has claimed that this alteration improves the taste of the classic biscuit, but people have reacted angrily and a petition against the move has already attracted more than 4,000 signatories.

“It [is] bad for business, as vegans, dairy reducers and those with intolerance – potentially 15% of the population – will now have to stop buying Jammie Dodgers,” explained Ali Ryland, the petition’s founder.

A spokesperson for Buron’s Biscuit Company tried to explain the decision to radically tinker with the loveable Dodger: “We have recently carried out a reformulation of our Jammie Dodgers recipe, based on consumer feedback as how best to improve the flavour and texture of the product.”

Rather predictably, Twitter users were quick to comment.

“Nothing more heartbreaking that [sic] finding out I can’t eat Jammie Dodgers ever again,” said one.

“They’re adding, completely unnecessarily, milk protein to Jammie Dodgers so vegans can no longer enjoy them,” said another.

However, there is some good news buried in this.

The new recipe contains 22% less sugar that its predecessor, which we think is a step in the right direction.

photo: Stuart Webster (Creative Commons)