Recently I (impulsively) bought a bottle of what I thought was grapefruit juice. I bought it because, as a quick glance at the front revealed, it would contain, you know, 100% Ruby Red Grapefruit juice (see, Product, Front). I based this on the fact that the product says that it is 100% Juice and that it says Ruby Red Grapefruit. Where those two meet, I am good. Or so I thought.
Product Front
Actual Ingredients
This misguided purchasing decision was based on the belief, I suppose, that we have a government agency somewhere actually regulating just how outrageously deceptive the front of product packaging can be. Clearly, this belief is misplaced, because not only does this thing taste like the evil spawn of Sunny D meets Tang, but the ingredients label on the back bears almost no resemblance to what’s on the front. None.
1. You say 100/% Grapefruit juice, I say filtered water.
Really? The number one ingredient in 100% Ruby Red Grapefruit juice is filtered water? Okay, so maybe I can allow that if you concentrate the juice, then re-hydrate it with filtered water, you’re still delivering the promise of 100% Ruby Red grapefruit juice? And if this was the deal, I could live with that. So, let’s look at ingredient number two.
2. White grape juice concentrate.
Wtf? I already said I would let the whole “concentrate” thing slide, and now you’re thinking I’m such a pushover you can say “grape” without “fruit” immediately after and I won’t notice that you totally changed fruits on me? No. So, clearly, you guys are going to try and get away with everything you can here. Which is why the next ingredient is not a total shocker.
3. Apple juice concentrate.
Part of me knew this was coming. When you can call a grape a grapefruit I suppose there’s nothing stopping you from creating a committee where anything with a seed in it can call itself grapefruit. Really, I should be happy that it’s not corn juice or whatnot. So, you know, thanks.
4. Ruby red grapefruit juice.
Hey, look at you. I almost forget you were invited. And here you are, only fourth on a guest list to an event that was supposed to be entirely in your honor. You must be so proud.
5. Other ingredients
I’m not even going to get into the rest of the crashers here. Suffice to say that their call out should indicate that all this 100% nonsense on the front seems like a tragic lie.
Bonus moment: “100% Vitamin C” on the front. I don’t even know what that means.
I’m going to have to check my bookmarks. I think I clicked on TrendingBuffaloAndOtherMindlessRantsThatHaveNothingToDoWithBuffalo.com
Author’s note for miss pissy pants, product purchased in Buffalo, NY.
THAT’S your tie in?! So the Buff Stuff & Buffalo Badvertising categories/tags basically cover anything sold or advertised in Buffalo?!
Just admit that you used an inappropriate platform, based solely on the fact that you had an audience at your fingertips, to express your off-topic opinion & then we can all move on.
Unless you & the people running this website want it to become just another “blog” containing the inane opinionated rants of the “writers” instead of a site that covers the Buffalo area, like I have to assume was it’s original intention.
Signed,
Missy Pissy Pants
Strategic advice noted.
I fail to see the issue with the labeling. It says “100% juice” on the front. Based on the ingredients you listed, it sure sounds like 100% juice.
Not to mention the fact it clearly states “Flavored blend of 3 juices from concentrate with other natural flavors and ingredients” IN ALL CAPS.
Just playing the devils advocate role. 🙂
Yessireeeeeeeee.
You really don’t know what 100% vitamin C means? It means a serving of the juice contains 100% of the RDA recommended daily allowance of the vitamin. How did you get through health class without knowing this? My teenager has known how to read a food label for years.
100% juice? Not really if water is in it. It’s watered down juice. A lot of people drink pure grapefruit juice as a diruretic when dieting. Having grape and apple juice (which are high in sugar) doesn’t have the same effect. Diabetics also should be warned.
I am an employee of a food company who has to review nutritional labeling. The FDA generally doesn’t review labels unless there is a complaint. Complaints can come from consumers, but they most typically come from competitors. In the fruit juice space, POM Wonderful has decided to sue anyone and everyone who declares their product to be Pomegranate juice or Pomegranate flavored unless the product is majority pomegranate juice
(which is exorbitantly expensive). They’ll even sue you if you say your juice is Pomegranate-Apple instead of Apple-Pomegranate if there is more Apple juice than pomegranate juice.
If POM cared about the Grapefruit the way they care about the Pomegranate, your bottle of juice would have said something different. But since the FDA doesn’t review labels unless someone asks them to, and the company’s competitor (Coke) is doing the same thing on its Minute Maid brand, no one is there to file a complaint.
You really are a tool. I read your craptastic Vanek article, now this. First off- it doesn’t say 100% Grapefruit Juice, it says 100% Juice. What does that mean? It means everything in that bottle was extracted from a fruit or vegetable! As others have also pointed out- it says that it’s a blend of 3 fruit juices. I really hope you are not a writer by trade, unless your goal as a writer is to produce mind numbingly dumb articles. If that’s the case- job well done!