Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I've been using Earth Balance for quite some time. I don't buy it often, usually just for baking. The last tub I purchased (original variety) smells and tastes different. It almost smells like seaweed. I baked some brownies with it and could taste the weird flavor. Has anybody else noticed this? I certainly could have gotten an "off" tub, but I got a slice of cake at a local vegan bakery today and noticed the same weird taste in the frosting. Maybe EB has been reformulated?

weird! i haven't noticed, but I will be on the look out.

pregnant?

Nope, definitely not! My partner noticed the weird taste too. It's quite strong.

I've noticed and have switched to the coconut spread. I bought a few tubs that seemed off and gave up.

I haven't noticed. I just bought some to use on toast and in baking, but it tastes like it always has.

uh-oh. maybe they had an accident and put fish oil in it. (smart balance owns earth balance, and i'm assuming they package in the same factory.)

oh, can you tell us which batch lot is on your package? (and which size tub?) i recently got a large tub and it seems okay to me.

yeah i havnt noticed a change, been using it for a long time

So yeah. The normal version has had a sort of fishy smell when cooked as long as I've been using it. The soy-free version didn't until recently-- maybe the last month or two? Now it also smells pretty strange and a little fishy when heated...

I haven't noticed anything either. I go through a lot of it at work and nothing has seemed out of the ordinary. Hopefully it was just an off batch.

Same here. At least with the regular kind.

I just ran off to smell the open tub of EB in my fridge, but it smells fine to me. Hopefully there's not some sort of fish oil mix-up conspiracy going on.

Oh my gosh, totally fishy smell/taste in my EB too! I put some on popcorn and was like "Whoa Nelly, is this tilapia paste or something?" Never had that problem before.

I have the 15 oz tub size. Is the batch number listed after the "Best By" date?

I used to buy mine in bulk at People's Co-op until it started smelling/tasting off. Until recently I usually only bought the sticks. But, this tub is grossing me out. I think switching to the coconut spread might be the best solution.

Is there flax oil in this stuff? I've heard that can give off a fishy smell/taste.

Nope, there's no flax oil in it.

Ugh, so it's not just me! I've thought that my last two tubs have been sort of...plastic-y, but I think "fishy" could describe it as well. Gross!

This is so strange. I can't get EB here, but recently bought a soy-based margarine here that I thought tasted really fishy. I wonder if there's a common ingredient that's causing this. (I also noticed that my certified vegan Omega-3 capsules give me fishy burps, which gives me pause.)

The omega-3 capsules I have are derived from marine algae. I haven't noticed fishy burps, but that may explain why you are getting that taste.

I haven't noticed a fishy taste or odor in EB, but I wish the sticks tasted the same as the stuff in the tub. I've tried to get used to the sticks but I just can't/won't. They are okay for baking though.

hmm. if they are reformulating anyway, it would be nice if they reformulated the palm oil out of EB :(

i would totally report your fishy tubs and the batch numbers. at the very least they should give you coupons for more LOL, but also, hope there is not a fish oil mix up, that could be bad--and dangerous for people with allergies!

i think the batch number is the whole thing including the best by date.

my 45 oz tub (which doesn't taste funny) is oct 31 12 M7 01:21

Thanks for all of your responses!! I sent a message to Earth Balance yesterday. Hopefully they will get back to me soon! I'll be sure to share the results.

Wasn't there a thread on the old boards a few years ago where people noticed it tasted off, and then the owner of Earth Balance joined the thread and had people write to them and let them know what our tub numbers were?

Yes!! so glad it's not just me. The first time this happened, I went out to eat between Whole Foods & home, so I thought my failure to promptly refrigerate it caused the grossness (sounds silly in hindsight). I use a ton of EB (nooch toast addiction), and most tubs I've had for the past 6 mos to a year have tasted like this. I never thought to write to EB but I totally will now.