Change

A few weeks ago I went to clean up our snack mess, so we could color eggs for Easter, and I went to grab some cleaning wipes and couldn’t find them where they normally are. I looked all over the place but they weren’t in the other common places we might find them (on the counter next to the sink or on the table). So, I called to my husband in the other room: “Do you know where the wipes are?”

He came in and said there weren’t any and pulled out a new set of three he’d bought in anticipation of the wipes being used up. He opened it up and handed me a bottle of cleaning wipes and I cleared the table and opened it up to pull a wipe out to clean the table. The first thing I noticed was the texture. It had changed. It grated at my nerves but I managed to control it. I asked my husband: “Are these the same kind we always buy? They feel different. I don’t like it.”

He said, “Yeah, I noticed they feel different. More texture, less wet.”

Why do companies always do this? Why do they switch up their ingredients or their products without telling us, the consumers? I suspect it has to do with making more money or saving money. But, it’s extremely annoying to two very big groups of people that I’m a part of: Neurodivergents and people with allergies.

Obviously, these companies are required to update their ingredients lists, but did you know that they don’t have to include a cross-contamination warning on their labels? And some people are so sensitive to their allergies that even a tiny amount can cause an allergic reaction. Those with that severe of an allergy either have to grow and butcher and make all their food themselves from scratch… or email or call every company whose food or products they buy to check for possible cross contamination with their allergen.

I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I wanted to at least bring attention to this for those of you who know anyone in these two groups and deal with these issues. It’s frustrating needing to check everything, and then some things you can’t check ahead of time and it just surprises you, and not always in a good way. So, the next time someone freaks out about a slight change to a product or is upset about a change in the ingredients of something they love, I hope you think about this and about how hard it must be for them, and that you offer them compassion and support while they work through their emotions.

Clarissa