Adulterated dried fruit Aldi / JS / Waitrose ... no EU legislation ?

[jpaul]

What is the deal with partially rehydrated or ready to eat dried fruit available in most supermarkets ?
These acknowledge that they have added water but do not say how much,
they are not surprisingly cheaper, maybe 25%, than proper dried fruit, however they are not as tasty, lacking flavour intensity.

I suppose it is just like meat/chicken that is injected with water, where the consumer is just exploited.

Below are aldi, js examples ...but they all sell them.

 

[D3K]

Who cares? Who eats such garbage with or without water?

Buy proper fruit and veg if it bothers you. And buy it from a native chain if you want it to last longer than a day.

 

[jpaul]

they have most of nutritional value to proper fruit..
and for exotic, foreign to uk, stuff eg. apricots, better flavoured than chilled/travelled imports
great for adding to breakfast mueseli, work snacks (don't drip on keyboard/screen)

https://issuu.com/nutfruit/docs/or_nutfruit_nov17_hr

 

[Deus Ex]

Who cares? Who eats such garbage with or without water?

Buy proper fruit and veg if it bothers you. And buy it from a native chain if you want it to last longer than a day.

I'm not sure in many ways how aldi and lidl are less native than the other supermarkets, lots of aldi/lidl's produce is british, the difference is they dont treat you like a mug and rip you off.

 

[jpaul]

not sure he was knocking aldi/lidl , rather anywhere where you do not not know the complete 'road' the produce has travelled ... so basically you are left with your back garden/scrumping.

Although imhop, aldi vegetables are often noticeably poorer quality than JS say, and it is a fine balance paying less for a product that may have a poorer shelf life/taste versus JS or Asda say. examples celery/brocoli/carrots - agree when it is british origin there is less difference between aldi & js.

on dried fruit - subsequently saw a company who do rehydration/adulteration offering up to 20%
but have not sent the supermarkets an email to askk their water level - lol
(prawns! - interesting article on injecting them discussed in r4 food programme - rarely buy them becuase of questionable supply chains)

 

[LeeUK]

If you want proper good fruit and veg then find a decent fruit and veg shop. The fruit and veg in all UK supermarkets is just the left overs from the farm compared to decent stuff.

Other than that, this sounds like a Aldi/Lidl bashing thread. Still happy to drive your German cars though. Weird.

 

[Hotwired]

What is the deal with partially rehydrated or ready to eat dried fruit available in most supermarkets ?
These acknowledge that they have added water but do not say how much,
they are not surprisingly cheaper, maybe 25%, than proper dried fruit, however they are not as tasty, lacking flavour intensity.

I suppose it is just like meat/chicken that is injected with water, where the consumer is just exploited.

Well how far does your outrage go and is it all about feeling ripped off?

There is no such thing as completely dry, dried fruit, such a food item would be completely inedible and resemble rock, if even possible.

In fact try eating extremely dry pineapple pieces. Might as well be sucking on a pinecone waiting for it to soften enough to chew.

There's a very valid reason to put water back into food which has had water removed. It becomes considerably more edible. From that you realise the "ready to eat" label has real meaning to it.

I would guess the logic of adding water back before sale is because it ships and stores better when very dry but they wish to offer a more palatable form on the shelf.

As for being ripped off, these products have to give nutritional values for their weight. These have to be about the product as it is in the packet. So you are given all you need to make an informed decision.

 

[mrbazmondo]

It lasts longer in storage with less water (and higher sugar) and is cheaper to ship as it weighs less.
When they re-hydrate so its edible they have the option of adding more than than they used to so they can sell more water and less product for the same money.

 

[jpaul]

a bit more research - maybe the requirements for hydrated are tighter than just dried - lol
ie dried anywhere <24%, ready to eat 29-35

prunes
"Maximum moisture content 29 per cent" and/or by "semi-dry" when the
moisture content is between 24 per cent and 29 per cent inclusive
"Maximum moisture content 35 per cent" and/or by "ready to eat", when the
moisture content is between 29 per cent and 35 per cent inclusive
No marking indicating moisture content is necessary if this is equal to or less than 24 per cent

I. METHODS OF DETERMINING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF PRUNES
Oven-drying method
(reference method)
An amount of 2.5 g of pulp is taken from the sample prepared in the above manner and spread as
uniformly as possible on the bottom of a metal container about 8.5 cm in diameter equipped with a
tight-fitting lid.
The container is weighed and left to dry for six hours in an oven kept at a temperature of 70
oCelsius and a pressure not exceeding 100 mm Hg. The metal container must be in direct contact with the
metal shelf of the drying oven.
The lid is replaced, and the sample is cooled in a desiccator and then weighed.
During the initial drying phase, a temperature drop in the drying oven should not give cause for
concern, since it may be due to the rapid evaporation of the water

The dried apricots shall have a moisture content as
follows:
•not exceeding 25.0 per cent for untreated dried apricots
•above 25.0 per cent and not exceeding 40.0 per cent for dried apricots treated with
preservatives or preserved by other means (e.g. pasteurization) and products
between 32.0 and 40.0 per cent should be labelled as high moisture or equivalent
denomination.

As for being ripped off, these products have to give nutritional values for their weight.

if taste is your main criteria and you believe it is proportional to moisture ,then nutritional value alone does not make it easy make a choice

 

[Hotwired]

if taste is your main criteria and you believe it is proportional to moisture ,then nutritional value alone does not make it easy make a choice

Moisture is weight and that can be seen as a lower nutritional value per 100g.

 

[Daaaavvveee]

I am not sure if this is the right sort of thing to be annoyed about?
Who cares?

 

[cheesyboy]

Although imhop, aldi vegetables are often noticeably poorer quality than JS say, and it is a fine balance paying less for a product that may have a poorer shelf life/taste versus JS or Asda say. examples celery/brocoli/carrots - agree when it is british origin there is less difference between aldi & js.

Vegetables, possibly, but berries and grapes from Sainsburys are terrible. Strawberries always go a bit mushy before best before, and grapes sag often as soon as you've bought them.