With Globalisation, Everything Tastes of Ribena

One of my correspondents, "seriousmince" - not, I am guessing, his or her given name - makes the point that Maynard's Original Wine Gums have grown softer over the years. This, regrettably, is true. Whether it is connected to the need of the National Health Service to import dentists from Poland I couldn't possibly guess.
But I have been worried about Maynard's ever since they were taken over by Trebor, who themselves are part of Cadbury Trebor Bassett, which - I believe - is also part of Cadbury Schweppes.
Recently, Trebor - for which, read Schweppes - has added a blackcurrant flavour to its other classic brand, Sports Mixtures. The effect is quite disastrous. Previously, the joy of Sports Mixtures - other than the puzzle of trying to equate the freakishly-shaped sweets with a sport - was the pungent cocktail of flavours which could be experienced while chewing. There was lime, there was orange, there was a flavour that can only be described as "red", and there was licorice. The black Sports Mixture is the most controversial of all. It is the Marzipan of fruity chews. Some love it (I do), some hate it. Even the mighty Pontefract Cake pales in comparison.
But now, when you chew on a handful of Sports Mixtures, everything tastes of Ribena.