Posted by Green Diva Mom on Dec.14, 2008

by David Gutierrez from NaturalNews.com

Most snacks and drinks claiming to be fruit-flavored contain no fruit at all, while most of the rest contain only minimal quantities, according to a study conducted by the British nonprofit Food Commission.

“Shoppers need to check the small print in the ingredients if they want to know whether they actually contain any fruit, because the actual content can be non-existent,” said Food Commission spokesperson Ian Tokelove. “Food manufacturing is highly competitive. If companies can cut their costs and increase profits by using flavoring, they are liable to do so. Consumers won’t always realize they are being duped.

Researchers analyzed the contents of 28 strawberry-flavored products sold in U.K. stores, and found that less than 40 percent of them contained any fruit at all. Of the 11 products that did contain strawberries, five of them contained less than one percent real fruit.

The product with the highest strawberry content, at 6 percent, was a Ribena strawberry juice drink. In addition, each juice box contained 31.4 grams of sugar, or nearly eight teaspoons.

Products containing no strawberries at all included strawberry flavored Angel Delight: “Lots of sugar, starch and additives but no strawberries,” the report said.

Even products advertised as more natural often contained no fruit. While Ambrosia strawberry flavored custard is labeled as containing no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, it also contains absolutely no strawberries.

The Food Commission called for the government to require that all flavors used in a product be listed on the packaging. Under current U.K. law, food packages do not have to distinguish between natural and artificial flavoring.

“Describing a product as strawberry flavor and plastering the packet with pictures of strawberries, when that product contains just a tiny percentage of strawberry or even no real fruit at all, is misleading and deceptive,” Tokelove said. “Unfortunately, it is also legal and widespread.”

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Posted under Food, Nutrition & Recipes, Reading Labels.