Review of 'Del Monte' Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup

Del Monte -- Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (vegan)
Overall Rating: 2/5
Summary: wow, these fruits are so bland...the cherries have no flavour whatsoever. Actually, the flavours are all lost. All you really taste is the sweet syrup that's a blend of bland flavours. It's just a mash-up of shapes in a corn syrupy soup. This is so disappointing, especially because the calorie count is so high! You'd expect a yummy product...I can't recommend this. No way. It's made all the worse by the fact that the brand contributed funds against the labelling of GMO foods. It's more likely that the corn syrup used is genetically modified. You're better off buying fruit cocktails that include only fruit in 100% fruit juice.

Where to buy: Freshco, Metro, Fortinos, most major grocery stores



Ingredients: Peaches, Pears, Water, Grapes, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Pineapple, Cherries (Cherries, Carmine).

Nutritional Information
Serving size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 100
Total fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 10mg
Potassium: 110mg
Total Carbohydrate: 24g
     Fiber: 1g
     Sugars: 23g
Protein: 0g
Vitamin A: 4%
Vitamin C: 4%
Iron: 2%

Why, oh why, couldn't they do without the corn syrup and sugar? I've had sugarless fruit cocktails that have been great. There's just no freshness to this blend. What's also disappointing is that the nutrients are gone! Only miniscule levels of vitamins A and C are present and just 1/2 cup is 100 calories *with* 23g of sugar! Sooo not worth it. These are just empty calories and it's not delicious enough to warrant that.

Check out the recipes page for recipes using this product. Some include:

• Angel Food Ambrosia
• Fruit Cocktail Cake

Other Canned 'Mixed Fruit' varieties (all vegan):

• Lite® Chunky Mixed Fruit
• Chunky Mixed Fruit
• Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100% Juice
• Citrus Salad
• Lite® Fruit Cocktail
• Fruit Cocktail (Healthy Kids)
• Fruit Cocktail in 100% Juice
• No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail
• No Sugar Added Very Cherry Mixed Fruit
• Tropical Fruit Salad in 100% Juice
• Very Cherry® Mixed Fruit In Light Syrup

Brand:

• Funded anti-GMO labelling efforts
• 2013: voluntary recall of pet food nationwide (read Ohio.com article)
• 2012: Nature's Recipe is a brand of Del Monte Foods and had products recalled for possible Salmonella contamination (read CBS news article)
• 2012: recall of certain fruit bowls due to possible health risks (read FDA announcement)