McDonald’s new Fruit and Maple Oatmeal has landed the company in a syrupy spot with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. The company alleges that the oatmeal doesn’t actually contain maple, and they’ve requested that McDonald’s change the recipe or change the name. Labeling a food as containing maple when it actually doesn’t is in violation of Vermont’s well known “Maple” law.
“What we understand, is there is no actual maple in the [McDonald's] product being advertised. Vermont maple law and regulations are very specific for how the term maple is used in advertisements,” Kelly Loftus, VAA spokesperson told Slashfood. “It is illegal to use the word maple on a product unless the sweetener is 100 percent pure maple. Artificial maple flavoring should be clearly and conspicuously labeled on the principal panel with the term ‘artificial flavor’.”
The ingredient list for the McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal is much longer than the name suggests. Each 9.2 ounce cup contains whole grain rolled oats, brown sugar, food starch-modified, salt, natural maple flavor with other natural flavor (plant source), barley malt extract, and caramel color. It comes with diced apples, cream and a cranberry/raisin blend. It has 290 calories and 4.5 grams of fat.
via slashfood.com
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January 14th, 2011
User Feedback
(Page 1 of 1, 2 total comments)jodi
Thanks for the article. The oatmeal looks so good on tv...but I guess I'm not overly surprised that it's not actually great for you.
posted Jan 17th, 2011 2:31 amBrandi
Why am I not surprised? That nasty maple mcgriddle thing a few years ago was artificially flavored too.
posted Jan 14th, 2011 6:28 pmHere's the thing: Just make it at home! That McD's oatmeal cup portion size is 3 ounces larger than a standard serving of oatmeal. So make your own, add a teaspoon of brown sugar and 2 ounces of chopped apple (a little less than a full extra small apple) and the whole thing is 150 calories. You could have two bowls of this for what McD's is serving you.
This is how you lose weight. You do your homework, you don't assume it's healthy, and you prepare foods yourself.