by Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat
Member since:
August 17, 2007

Dole Frozen Fruit Cups Review ~ Look What Sassy Cat Dragged Home ~ To Buy or Not to Buy ~ Episode #284

January 02, 2013 06:44 PM UTC
views: 0 | 9 people recommend this | comments: 50

New Dole Frozen Fruit in "Cups"

Dole has found a new way to sell fruit and it is a prime example of how companies are using deceptive tactics in packaging.  For what purpose? To trick consumers into thinking they are getting more and / or something different than what they are paying for.

Take a good look at this packaging.  How much is in it?  In large bold print it states, "2 cups".  But did you notice the much smaller print above the "cups"?  That states, "single serving". Oh!?

http://media-files.gather.com/images/d969/d554/d747/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

I have purchased these about eight times since last summer.  Very handy, I peel the top off a plastic cup and dump the blueberries into muffin or pancake batter.  But something always seemed a little off.

I like to think of myself as a savvy shopper.  I'm one of those people who are always in your way in the aisles, concentrating on reading package labels.  Well, Dole fooled me on this one until today.  I thought I had been purchasing "2 cups" of frozen blueberries.  Not!  In the next photo, I poured one of the plastic containers into a one-cup measure.  Looks more like 3/4 cup worth of berries.

http://media-files.gather.com/images/d971/d554/d747/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

But it gets even worse!  According to the nutritional information, there is 50 calories in one of these cups.  One real cup of blueberries has 84 calories, so, doing a little math, there is less than 2/3 cup of blueberries in the Dole "cups".  Yep, I was getting more than a third less product than I thought I was buying.

No where on that package does it say what the measure is for these berries.  Even in the nutritional information, it lists a serving as "one container".  And, under ingredients, it states, "blueberries and natural flavor".  Considering these are supposed to be "all-natural, unsweetened fruit", I do not have a clue as to what that "natural flavor" refers to.  Do you?

I cannot complain about the berries.  They are really nice.  But I do resent being led to believe that I was purchasing 2 cups of blueberries when, in reality, it is only 1 1/3 cups (combining both plastic containers).

Cost: $1.98.  Also available in pineapple and sliced strawberries.

On a scale of one to ten, Sassy awards Dole Frozen Blueberry Cups a 1.  I really should give them a 0.  I am that angry.

http://media-files.gather.com/images/d973/d554/d747/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

=^o^=

Comments: 50

Janet "Jax" B. Jan 2, 2013, 6:53pm UTC
I've bought these but I realized they were just over 1/2 cup of actual fruit at the time.....and with the coupon I only paid around 50 cents a package, so it was worth it.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:21am UTC
I'd say you paid them less than what it cost them to put those berries on the store shelf, so good for you!
Tory H. Jan 2, 2013, 7:02pm UTC
Ug. That really is frustrating :(
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:22am UTC
I notice things like this frequently, especially with items that are "new". It took me waaay too long to figure this out.
Angela M. Jan 2, 2013, 7:06pm UTC
Ive not seen these, i buy the fresh when on sale and freeze in sandwich bags and stuff them all in a big freezer bag a lot cheaper that way
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 2, 2013, 9:48pm UTC
I'm going to have to do that. A person pays so much more for a little convenience.
Pamela Marks Jan 2, 2013, 7:18pm UTC
It does say 2 single serve cups, not 2 full cup servings, but at first glance most would think that they were cups. Thanks for the heads up. Companies are always taking ounces out of cans and then raising the prices.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:25am UTC
Companies are always taking ounces out of cans and then raising the prices.

That is so true! With everything from orange juice to cake mixes to the number of sheets on a toilet paper roll. They must think most people won't notice.
Pamela Marks Jan 5, 2013, 9:32pm UTC
Sassy I even called the Hershey company when they went from 10 packs with regular size reeses cups to smaller cups, then from 10 packs to 8 and now 6 packs which were all priced at a 1.00, and look now we have 12 packs for a 1.78. I just shake my head and wonder how many people acutally fall for this and how many have called the companies and told them we don't like this go back to what you had. The masses speack and apparently the masses are staying quite an taking it up the rear.
Nancy S. Jan 2, 2013, 8:03pm UTC
Yes it is a bit misleading.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:25am UTC
Yes, and I'm sure they plan to be misleading to their advantage.
Good eye. I hate when packaging is decieving.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:26am UTC
Thanks! I notice that too frequently these days.
I hate when packaging information is decieving.
RedBird. B. Jan 2, 2013, 8:56pm UTC
Great Review, Sassy!~ Yes! I do see what they are saying is misleading.
Great eye to catch it!~
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:27am UTC
Thank you! Consumers need to be wary these days. There are so many things competing for our dollars.
Madame Donna C. Jan 2, 2013, 10:07pm UTC

Madame Donna C. Jan 2, 2013, 10:06pm EST
Yet another reason that I shop farmer's markets rather than buying packaged foods from my local grocer. You get screwed every single time. The truth is few buyers are as savvy as you are, Sassy, and they are taken and not only is their money wasted but the product they purchase is inferior...every single friggjin' time. Really. So join me in promoting only whole foods and buying through local farmers markets, doing without certain foods until they are in season and resisting packaged products that actually cost more than fresh ones both in dollars and health costs. Are you in? I'd love it if you joined me in promoting good health, pure food and lower costs because your dollar goes further when you buy pure and honest foods.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:36am UTC
I agree! And this is why I (and I believe you do, too) grow as much of my own food as possible. Not only do I know where it came from and am the only one handling it, there is also a satisfaction that comes from growing one's own food that a person has to experience to understand.

Thank you for the compliment about me being a savvy buyer. I felt rather stupid posting this, admitting that Dole had put one past me for so long, but I wanted to publish this in an attempt to warn others of these deceptive packaging practices.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:42am UTC
So join me in promoting only whole foods and buying through local farmers markets, doing without certain foods until they are in season and resisting packaged products that actually cost more than fresh ones both in dollars and health costs. Are you in?

Heck, yeah! I would do what I can to help. I'd like to include in that doing reviews like this one to point out some of the problems with packaged, processed foods.

When I was a kid, my parents bought very little from the stores except the basic items like flour, sugar, etc. We grew our food, including butchering meat animals (not that I could do that).

There are some things I feel I have to buy out of season, like orange juice, but maybe not after I've read the comments below. I'm kinda scared about that "zombie orange juice". haha!
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:43am UTC
your dollar goes further when you buy pure and honest foods.

Amen to that!
Dannielle S. Jan 2, 2013, 10:54pm UTC
I no longer have the link to the article where I read it, but I believe you'll get a hit if you Google for "zombie orange juice" which was an item on a list about foods you should not trust. If you read that, you'll learn about how companies will purchase fruit, create juice, and then store it (because there is too much to sell all at once.) They have some processes that make the juice last longer than it would naturally, and then "resuscitate" it for sale.

This is probably what is happening with your blueberries, too. They are harvested, stored in some way that reduces their flavor, and so they must be "resuscitated" with more natural juice to make them pass for blueberries when you open the package.

Donna's right -- nothing beats freshly picked fruits and berries. The closer you can get to the source of your produce, the better, more nutritious that food is. So, packaged fruit... however old it is... just won't be any real value for your money, even at $1.98.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 2:02am UTC
Thank you for posting the link to that article. That was a good read.

That makes perfect sense what you say about the blueberries needing resuscitation. Blueberries are a short harvesting season and there is definitely something behind that "natural flavor" on the ingredient list.
Pete S. Jan 2, 2013, 11:07pm UTC
It says right on the package, but in fairly small print: "2-3 oz. cups... net wt. 6 oz. (170 gm)" They're hoping that you don't make the distinction between "cup" meaning "a small container" and "cup" meaning "a unit of measure which equals 8 oz."
Dannielle S. Jan 3, 2013, 11:14am UTC
Marketing to the illiterate and distracted.
aniko    Jan 3, 2013, 12:10pm UTC
I dunno. It wouldn't have occurred to me that they meant cups as a unit of measure. Perhaps because they have many other products in little plastic cups with foil lids (note the "single-serve" modifier) combined into packages of two or four, just like the picture above.

Everyone's points about fresh vs. "resurrected" are valid, of course.
Dannielle S. Jan 3, 2013, 12:20pm UTC
Okay. Here is the link to the article on "zombie orange juice" and other foods you're wrong to assume are healthy.

Blueberries are mentioned, too.
aniko    Jan 3, 2013, 1:07pm UTC
I remember that one. Of course, we did have a hint before: bottled orange juice doesn't taste anything like the juice you squeeze out of oranges at home.
Pete S. Jan 3, 2013, 1:41pm UTC
Canned OJ has to be pasteurized, which means heating it to roughly the core temperature of Eta Carinae. This has a deleterious effect on taste and nutrition; I believe that vitamin C and other things are added afterwards. It is possible to buy relatively fresh-squoze-tasting bottled OJ, but it still doesn't compare to the stuff you do yourself.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:41am UTC
It says right on the package, but in fairly small print: "2-3 oz. cups... net wt. 6 oz. (170 gm)" They're hoping that you don't make the distinction between "cup" meaning "a small container" and "cup" meaning "a unit of measure which equals 8 oz."

Yep, they gave the weight. I suspect that is a requirement on food packaging. I'm sure that is exactly what they are counting on, not distinguishing between a Dole cup and a measuring cup. Which I did not, because I was not aware of how many ounces of blueberries are in a measured cup. Now I realize there is somewhere between 4 and 5 ounces of blueberries in cup.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:50am UTC
That is a great article - 6 Most Horrifying Lies in the Food Industry. Thank you for the link!

I have run across those fake blueberries. I did a review of the Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal and pointed out that the "fruit" in it was all artificial, as in a lot of fruity cereals.

The ammonia infused hamburger is really a horror. Did you know that almost every piece of pork on the store shelves has been injected with a "solution" of salt water to keep it from turning gray?

I have also found other things in so-called healthy foods that I think are crimes.
How do they get fiber into yogurt and so many other foods? Inulin.
Artificial sweetener Stevia... banned in many countries, but not in the USA.
A natural pink coloring used in foods including strawberry yogurt (in an effort to make you think there are more strawberries in it than there really are), is made from ground-up beetles from South America. But it is natural!! hah
Connie C. Jan 3, 2013, 11:22am UTC
Sassy,

My computer crashed and I never get to see what the finally tally was for your recipe. Did you get into the next round?
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:50am UTC
Hi Connie!
No, I did not win that contest. I came in 6th out of 10 with a total of 220 votes. I was pretty happy with that and I believe most of those votes came from Gather members. They awarded the grand prize to the recipe that came in 7th. I dunno why. *shrug*
Thank you for all your help and votes!
Heather M. Jan 3, 2013, 11:40am UTC
Far better to buy them (or, if you're really enthusiastic, grow them) during the season and freeze them for the off-season.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 12:54am UTC
I tried to grow blueberries years ago, but the soil here was not right for them. They didn't bloom at all. I never bothered to research what to put in the soil (acid or whatever) to make them grow and just mowed the bushes off.
There is a u-pick nearby that has blueberries. But the farm is not 'organic' so I dunno what they are fertilizing, etc. with. Of course, I can imagine what they do to the big commercial fields that Dole uses anyway.
Dannielle S. Jan 4, 2013, 9:10pm UTC
Sassy, I would think that the non-organic "u-pick" is a step in the right direction, at least. It might be worthwhile to talk to the folks who run it and find out what they're using to have a successful crop. Possibly they simply haven't applied for organic status, but are not using anything unhealthy? There's something to be learned.

My friend's farm in PA has a huge blueberry patch that just hums and thrums with bee activity, but I've never asked him if they strive to be organic. I just know they're the sort of folks that would be mindful of their choices.

I hope if you do find out what makes for a successful blueberry crop that you'll post again about them!
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 5, 2013, 1:44am UTC
Thanks Danielle!
Now that I know blueberries will grow in this area, I will plant some bushes. I already did a little research today and discovered the acid level of soil can be changed by adding organic things such as shredded pine bark and pine needles.

I would love to have a thriving little blueberry patch in the backyard, and I will be more than happy to post my experiences with growing them.
Risa G. Jan 3, 2013, 12:30pm UTC
Dole is a big company and they will do what they have to to sell their products, including lying to the public. Doesn't surprise me. I normally buy frozen fruit in bags. During the summer I buy a lot of fresh fruit and freeze half of it each time. I use it in smoothies and in baking, these are convenient because they are portioned out but you pay for the convenience.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:52am UTC
Anything for companies to make a dollar these days. There are too many products on the store shelves, too many choices for consumers, so the companies are looking for edges, not matter what. It is sad.
The Red Headed Witch of Gather G. Jan 3, 2013, 12:52pm UTC
Gotta love the marketing strategies of companies.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:53am UTC
Yeah. I'm sure the people who come up with this stuff are really proud of themselves.
Rose Hill Jan 3, 2013, 1:59pm UTC
Convenience comes at a high price, sometimes it's worth it to me and sometimes it is not.

I hate to feel duped by packaging or downright cheated by the price vs value, that's why like you I stand in the aisles reading the label. Not to mention it takes me forever to shop for groceries.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:55am UTC
Me, too! Sometimes I spend 2 to 3 hours grocery shopping, and it is just for me and the kitties. A few minutes on many items adds up to hours.
Pete S. Jan 3, 2013, 2:03pm UTC
Instead of going to the trouble and expense of buying oranges and peeling them and slicing them or pulling them apart and getting orange blood all over my hands, I just buy a bag of those "orange slices" coated with that hard crystalline stuff to keep them fresh.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:56am UTC
;o)
William M. Jan 3, 2013, 7:44pm UTC
Typical now a days.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:57am UTC
Yes, it is. Sad that companies feel they have to dupe people into buying their products.
Gary (The Eclectic) Timothy Jan 3, 2013, 8:47pm UTC
The way I see it, you're just telling it like it is. Seems like every food company is giving us less and less for more and more. Too bad, cuz if they spent less on expensive packaging, they could give us more for our money.
Sassy *bacon makes me happy* Cat Jan 4, 2013, 1:58am UTC
I agree! But they feel they have to dazzle and deceive us or they will lose money to their competitor's products.
Gary (The Eclectic) Timothy Jan 5, 2013, 9:36pm UTC
You're undoubtedly right!
Angela M. Jan 16, 2013, 9:59am UTC
I broke down and bough the strawberry's I was shopping and hungry and had a coupon. so paid 1.25 for one and boy were those things horrible so sour i was munching on them on my drive home.
Im having the last cup on shredded wheat i think and put sugar on them. I was so not impressed with these but

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