Blueberries on the box... does it mean mean blueberries in the ingredients?

Blueberries are touted as a super health food. Eager to capitalize on that,manufacturers of prepared foods are plastering the berries all over their packaging. But Consumer Reports finds just because it’s blue on the outside doesn’t necessarily mean it’s blue on the inside.

For instance, the blueberry pancake mix from Krusteaz does not have blueberries
or fruit of any kind in a long list of ingredients. It does have a disclaimer that
says “artificially flavored” and “imitation blueberries,” which in the Krusteaz pancake mix
are made of palm oil, cellulose gum, and several dyes.

What about Kellogg’s Blueberry Muffin Frosted Mini-Wheats? Blue on the outside,
but the only blue thing in the cereal is a dye called blue 2 lake. A Kellogg’s company
spokesperson says, “The term ‘Blueberry Muffin’ is used to describe the flavor, and the
product is labeled in compliance with laws and regulations.”

Consumer Reports found some other products that prominently display blueberries but
have only blueberry juice in them, and that comes way down on the list of ingredients,
behind sugar and corn syrup. And Ocean Spray’s Blueberry Craisins are not dried
blueberries at all, but cranberries “infused” with blueberry juice.

As with most fruits and vegetables, Consumer Reports says it’s best to eat blueberries
before they or their juice end up in packaged products.