Fruit gnomes
Fruchtzwerge is the brand name of a dairy product that was sold in the 1980s under the company name Gervais and since the 1990s under the company name Danone . It is a fresh cheese with a fruit preparation . The main target group are children and young people .
| Nutritional values * as of July 2009 |
Fruchtzwerge Germany and Austria 100 g each (2 cups) |
|---|---|
| Energy value | 451 kJ (105 kcal) |
| protein | 6.6 g |
|
Carbohydrates including sugar |
13 g 12.8 g |
|
Fat of which saturated fatty acids |
2.9 g 1.9 g |
| Fiber | 0.1 g |
| sodium | 0.03 g |
| Calcium | 240 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.24 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.2 µg |
| Vitamin D3 | 1.25 µg |
Ingredients and recipe
According to the manufacturer, the fruit preparation used is u. a. made from fruits thickened with starch and guar gum . The fruit content is 6%; the added flavors are natural or nature-identical . Fruit dwarfs are sweetened with sugar . They are gluten-free , contain no colorings, gelatine or sweeteners and do not contain any preservatives .
After the new recipe change (May 2009), fruit gnomes contain 240 mg calcium per 100 g (in comparison: 100 g normal whole milk contains around 120 mg calcium). Since late August 2008, Fruchtzwerge contain an added amount of vitamin D . This is 1.25 µg per 100 g (= 2 cups). This corresponds to 25 percent of the recommended daily requirement for vitamin D that should be consumed through food.
Recipe history
Since the market launch in the early 1980s, the recipe for the fruit dwarfs has been revised several times. The fat content of fruit dwarfs has been reduced from 7.8 percent in 1981 to 2.9 percent today (2008), and the carbohydrate content from 16.9 percent to currently 13.7 percent. There is also a less sweet version with 11 percent carbohydrates that contains 10.8 percent sugar. Most recently, the recipe was changed so that the proportion of vitamin D and calcium was increased.
packaging
Danone uses form-fill-seal technology (FFS) to manufacture its fruit gnome cups . The process enables a thin cup wall, so that as little packaging material as possible is used while maintaining the quality standards - such as transport stability and hygienic protection of the product.
controversy
In the past, consumer advocates repeatedly criticized the advertising for fruit gnomes.
Which includes:
- the use of grape fruit sweetness instead of granulated sugar, although there is no nutritional difference between the two types of sugar. Both types of sugar are composed of a similar ratio of glucose and fructose . In Austria, the Higher Regional Court of Vienna described this advertising for fruit gnomes as misleading in a judgment of December 2005 .
- an information graphic on the website that was removed in 2007 and compared the carbohydrate and fat content of the fruit dwarfs with conventional fruit yoghurts. She described an advantage for fruit gnomes, although the difference was only slight at the time (fruit gnomes at the time contained 14.6% carbohydrates and 3.5% fat, conventional fruit yoghurt contained 15.5% carbohydrates and 3.5% fat).
- the slogan “as valuable as a small steak” in the 1980s because the product has about the same physiological calorific value as a small steak; However, this is primarily due to the high sugar content, while the proteins that are important for muscle building are underrepresented in contrast to steak.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Souci, specialist, herb: nutritional tables. medpharm, Stuttgart 2008 Souci specialist herb database . ( Memento of the original from December 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Reference values for vitamin D 3 intake from the German Nutrition Society.
- ↑ Declaration by a food chemist on the subject of "Without granulated sugar"
- ↑ Fruchtzwerge: VKI success against misleading health advertising
