Candy is still candy- no matter what colour it is
While some candy companies are ignoring the research on artificial food colours, others, like the Dare Foods, are using parental concerns to healthwash their products. It’s not the first time I’ve written about Dare and their attempts to healthwash their candy (RealFruit Gummies Mango with Yogurt).
This time it’s their RealFruit Berries and the current advertising campaign that I find particularly irksome.
Just take a quick look and you’ll see what I mean.
Real fruit? I don’t think so – or at least not by any nutritional definition I can think of.
“Time to talk real fruit candy with real fruit flavour and no added colour” “real candy made better”.
Check out the ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup, fruit juices from concentrate (raspberry and elderberry), modified pea starch, modified cornstarch, modified coconut oil, natural flavour, citric acid, sodium citrate, carnauba wax.
According to the company’s website, here’s what makes them a candy to choose:
made better facts
• Fat free
• Gelatin free and Gluten free
• Made with real fruit juice
• No artificial colours or flavours
How about their nutrition information? 12 candies contain 140 calories and 22 grams or 5 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Yes, they’re made with fruit juice but would a serving even remotely resemble the nutritional perks of berries? Not a chance.
While the colours, unlike Crayola’s new offerings, may not be linked to adverse health effects such as hyperactivity, Dare’s calling this “real candy made better” just plain offends me.
How about you?
Enlightened Eater 
When are they going to clamp down on advertising to children? Heck I’m sure this even sounds ‘healthy’ to adults who don’t know the down-low on the nutrition facts table. It’s too bad marketing standards are so lax on what they can term ‘real fruit’!!
Thanks for sharing this!
-Andrea
Andrea, in this case, it’s also in the name. As far as I know, there are no regulations dealing with the name of a product. But my feeling is the company should be shamed for calling a candy RealFruit!
Haha I don’t see why all of us health professionals can’t shame them together – make a mockery of the irony!
We should be! If companies aren’t called out for their marketing practices, they will just continue and others will join in!