Fanta fans, brace yourselves: one of your favourite summer drinks has been discontinued.
Social media erupted on Wednesday after rumours circulated that Fanta Lemon had apparently been shelved by the soft drink giants.
However, it has since transpired that the discontinuation only applies to US consumers.
The saga began when one Fanta fan tweeted the brand asking if the drink had been discontinued alongside a sad-face emoji.
Fanta responded in a tweet - which has since been deleted - writing: “Sadly, yes, Fanta lemon was discontinued. But, you can check out our 12 flavours at Fanta.com to see what's available near you.”
This prompted a furore amongst fans of the fizzy drink, who demanded an explanation, to which Fanta responded in a subsequent tweet, which has also since been deleted:
"Many factors go into the decision to stop selling a particular product. Typically, it is a matter of consumer demand. If there isn't enough consumer interest in a particular product, retailers will stop carrying it."
This did not sit well with the Twittersphere, with some lamenting that the news had “ruined” their summer and left them “heartbroken”.
“Fantalemon being discontinued has made me want to discontinue my life,” wrote one aggrieved user.
“Never buying Fanta ever again until you bring back lemon, snakes,” added another.
However, just before fans could start writing their obituaries in homage of everyone’s favourite citrus tipple, the soft drinks brand came to the rescue by clarifying that the drink has only been discontinued in the US.
Cue sighs of relief from UK Fanta-fanatics.
Responding to one user’s tweet, the brand wrote: “While Fanta Lemon is still not available in the US, it has not been discontinued elsewhere! We apologise for any confusion."
British holidaymakers have never been quite so thankful.
