Pop-Tarts are a popular toaster pastry that come in a variety of flavors, including blueberry. However, there has been some debate over whether the blueberry filling actually contains real blueberries or is artificially flavored. In this article, we will examine the ingredients in blueberry Pop-Tarts to determine if they contain real blueberries.
Pop-Tart Ingredients
Here are the ingredients listed on a box of Kellogg’s Blueberry Pop-Tarts:
Filling Ingredients:
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Dried Blueberries, Cornstarch, Dextrose, Glycerin, Soy Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Color (Red 40, Blue 1).
Pastry Ingredients:
Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Soybean and Palm Oil with TBHQ for Freshness, Dextrose, Food Starch-Modified, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Soy Lecithin, Natural and Artificial Flavors.
Key Ingredients
The key ingredient in the filling is “dried blueberries.” This indicates there are real blueberries used in the filling, rather than artificial flavors. However, there are also “natural and artificial flavors” listed. This likely refers to blueberry flavoring that enhances the taste of the real blueberries.
The pastry ingredients do not contain any real blueberries. The pastry gets its color from Red 40 and Blue 1 artificial food dyes.
How Real are the Blueberries?
Since dried blueberries are listed as an ingredient, we can confirm there are real blueberries used in blueberry Pop-Tarts. However, the amount and quality of the real fruit may be limited for the following reasons:
Dried vs. Fresh Blueberries
Dried blueberries have lower moisture content and a more concentrated, intensified flavor than fresh blueberries. Using dried blueberries allows Kellogg’s to pack blueberry flavor into the filling without using a lot of real fruit. Fresh blueberries have high water content, so more would be needed to achieve the same flavor intensity.
Flavor Enhancement
The “natural and artificial flavors” are likely added to make the blueberry taste stronger, since the amount of real fruit in the filling is probably quite small. Without flavor enhancement, the blueberry taste would be mild.
Sugar and Corn Syrup
Sugar and corn syrup are the first two ingredients listed, meaning there is more of those than there are dried blueberries in the filling. The high sugar content makes the filling sweeter and masks the real blueberry taste.
| Ingredient | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sugar | 30% |
| Corn syrup | 25% |
| Dried blueberries | 5% |
This table shows estimated percentages of the main filling ingredients. As you can see, the dried blueberry content is relatively low compared to the sugar and corn syrup.
Health Concerns
While blueberry Pop-Tarts do contain some real fruit, the overall nutritional value of the product is low. Here are some health concerns:
High in Sugar and Calories
A single packet of two Pop-Tarts contains about 20 grams of sugar – almost 5 teaspoons worth. The calorie count is around 200 calories. The high sugar and calorie content makes these a junk food with minimal nutritional value.
Highly Processed
To create shelf-stable Pop-Tarts with a long expiration date, the dough and filling ingredients are highly processed and contain preservatives. The level of food processing removes any potential health benefits the blueberries may have originally provided.
Lack of Fiber
Real blueberries contain fiber, but the drying and processing of the blueberries for Pop-Tarts reduces the fiber content. There are no whole blueberries or blueberry skins, which provide a significant amount of fiber.
Blueberry Pop-Tart Alternatives
Here are some alternatives to get more of the benefits of real blueberries:
Fresh Blueberry Muffins
Make muffins at home with fresh or even frozen blueberries. You control the sugar and can add other healthy ingredients like lemon zest, nuts, oats, etc.
Yogurt Parfaits
Layer yogurt, fresh blueberries, and homemade granola. Sweeten with a drizzle of honey if desired.
Smoothies
Blend blueberries, banana, milk/yogurt, and spinach or kale. Sweeten with maple syrup or honey if needed.
The Bottom Line
To summarize, blueberry Pop-Tarts do contain some amount of real dried blueberries, but they make up a small percentage of the filling ingredients. The blueberry taste is enhanced with natural and artificial flavors. While not completely fake, the fruit content is far less than you’d get from eating actual fresh, frozen, or even dried blueberries on their own. From a health perspective, fresh blueberries are a far better choice.