It's the chemicals in the prepared foods that amalgamate, preserve and enhance the product.
Read the labels.....see that stuff that's not salt or sugar or fruit? That's what's leaving a funny taste in your mouth.

I don't know about what chemicals in food might be causing you to taste funny but funny you should mention peri- menopause. An excess of estrogen or some surge of female hormones does indeed affect your sense of smell and because most of what we think of taste really is smell it can affect that also. It often happens to women when they are pregnant..it doesn't affect everyone but some women are particularly sensitive. My sister had a girlfriend who knew she was pregnant one day because she got up and could "Smell my coffee table!" That's just one example so maybe your hormones are contributing to it.
Joann

A lot of companies substitute HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) for sugar, which should be avoided for health reasons - it is not even allowed in Canada. I doubt that this is what you are tasting, however, as the flavor is pretty much identical to sugar, but as long as you are checking ingredients, it is a good one to look for to avoid.

Lars

I'm pretty sure we get HFCS in Canada. They just call it something different on the labels. I'd be surprised if the "glucose-fructose" in pancake syrup and barbecue sauce isn't the same stuff.

"cookbook thumpers" I love it!

I too am guessing it might be a change in your body chemistry. I know I have had some changes also and someday taste and odors are just plain nasty. They tell me it will resume normal after a while.

If the products include "sugar", I'm thinking the cause could be the use of beet sugar, rather than cane sugar.

Thank you party_music! I had no idea about the beet sugar. I Googled a bit and saw articles about it changing the taste of baked goods. If it's being used in Starbuck's simple syrup that would explain why I notice a change there too.

When I Googled I also saw some posts complaining about an after taste from Aldi's sugar.

It's nice to know that I am not the only one who has noticed a difference.

I have noticed that several products are putting multiple forms of sweeteners in their products. Someone had some granola bars that had four forms I think. And sometimes they will put sugar and Splenda (sucralose). I think Splenda has a horrible aftertaste and I can usually tell if it's in something right away.

Tracey

Also aome medications will change taste perception. The two common ones that I can think of off the top of my head are ACE inhibitiors like lisinopril, benazapril and other -prils, and metformin. (If you don't take those, eat enough sugar and someday you probably will....) I had a problem a few years ago when I was drinking New Mexico pinon coffee. Pine nuts can cause a metallic taste.

My understanding is high fructose corn syrup is allowed in Canada, however it's not called high fructose corn syrup. It's called glucose/fructose in Canada. I'll yield to my northern Canucklebuddies to correct me if I'm mistaken on that but maybe they can confirm or deny the accuracy on this.

I also understand there's a common misconception about HFCS being banned in Europe. Again, you don't find "high fructose corn syrup" because it's called glucose-fructose syrup in the UK, isoglucose or glucose-fructose syrup in the EU and high-fructose maize syrup in other countries.

The worries about HFCS reminds me of the hysterical comments about rapeseed oil. Once renamed "Canola oil", it's become a wonder oil! People wonder what's in a name!

I would be inclined to blame it on additives too. I can taste the preservatives on the lettuce at Subway, it's a metallic off-taste, and some baked goods and commercially available products leave that same after taste.

My doctor once told me that I was a "super taster", but I sure can't tell any difference between beet sugar and cane sugar by the time it's baked into something.

I can tell artificial sweeteners every time, though I drink Diet Coke regularly. However, I think they are more expensive, not less so I doubt that products would contain them unless they have nutritional information posted touting fewer grams of sugar.

Annie