Twisties and Cheezels fans are aghast after Fair Go discovered the iconic cheese flavoured snacks have changed appearance and taste.
A number of viewers wrote to Fair Go complaining that Twisties, Cheezels, Rashuns and Burger Rings didn't look or taste quite the same.
"They’ve made them small, too crunchy, they make a glue in your mouth. Not as nice to eat anymore," lamented Auckland's Matt Murray as he crunched into a Twistie.
Whangārei's Jordan Marsh says Burger Rings are his go-to for an at-work snack and immediately noticed something was up.
"I’ll never again enjoy the simple pleasure of sticking a burger ring on each finger and biting them off one-by-one," he told Fair Go.
Bluebird makes Twisties, Cheezels, Rashuns and Burger Rings. A quick examination of their social media platforms finds many outraged fans. Bluebird's General Manger Daniel Engeman told Fair Go the ingredients are the same, it's just they have changed machinery.
"We’d like to apologise to consumers for not producing the same level of quality they expect from us.
"We needed to upgrade the equipment we use to produce some of our products - This was done to ensure we could continue to manufacture these brands in New Zealand and employ locally.
"Our testing and the first few production runs were successful, However, over time we noticed some changes to the appearance of these products and have been working hard ever since to fine tune the new equipment to ensure the quality products our consumers know and love."
History is littered with popular Kiwi snack treats being altered and subsequent outrage from loyal fans. Milo changed its recipe, Cadbury's Creme Eggs were altered and Milk Bottle lollies became dairy free.
One customer told Fair Go she complained about her Twisties and Bluebird gave her an $8 voucher.
Bluebird says anyone that isn’t satisfied can contact them on 0800 730 123.
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