Candy is a popular snack for most people regardless of age. Many candy brands are in the market, including Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups, manufactured by General Mills. But what sets them apart? Read this comparative guide of the Fruit Roll-Ups vs. Fruit by the Foot to find out.
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The General Mills Company introduced the Fruit Roll-Ups in 1983 and Fruit by the Foot in 1992. Fruit Roll-Ups’ original flavors were cherry, strawberry, apple, and apricot. Since the same Company creates them, they have a lot in common.
This post is a comparative guide on the Fruit Roll-Ups vs. Fruit by the Foot. So, dig right in to know their difference.
Fruit Roll-Ups vs. Fruit by the Foot
This section will discuss the similarities and differences between these two candies.
1. Manufacturer
In America, the Betty Crocker Company, part of General Mills Inc., distributes Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups. General Mills Inc. produces various fruit-flavored snacks, such as the Gushers and Mott’s, readily available in most stores.
2. Nutrition
According to the nutritional information on the package, a 14g fruit roll in strawberry flavor contains 7g of sugar, 50 calories, and 8g of vitamin c.
A 21g pack of Fruit by Foot contains 10g of sugars, 9g of vitamin c, and 80 calories. In this case, a Fruit Roll-Up would be healthier because it has fewer calories and sugars.
3. Flavors
Fruit by the Foot candy has five flavors, while Fruit Roll-Up has eight distinct flavors.
Fruit by the Foot flavors include:
- Berry Tie-Dye
- Color by the Foot is only available in a variety of packages.
- Strawberry
- Sweet and spicy
- Flavor mixers
Fruit Roll-Up Flavors are:
- Sour
- Jolly rancher
- Flavor mixers
- Strawberry
- Cherry orange wildfire
- Tropical Tie Dye
- Blue Raspberry
- Strawberry craze
4. Cost
You can buy a pack of Fruit Roll-Ups for $2.12 in most stores and $2.19 for Fruit by the Foot. However, these prices are not constant as each store sets its price.
5. Sizes
Fruit Roll-Ups have a length of 4.75 inches and 4.75 inches of width and are slightly bigger than Fruit by the Foot. Each roll has a separate package and uses cellophane to prevent it from sticking when you are rolling. Fruit by the Foot is also individually rolled with cellophane and measures about 36 inches long and 1 inch thick.
The Shelf Life of Fruit Roll-Ups.
You can always check the expiry date on the package to know the expiry date of a product. But, if well stored, Fruit Roll-Ups are safe to consume one year after manufacture. The best way to store them for longer is to keep them in an airtight container, away from sunlight.
There is also a current trend on social media about freezing Fruit Roll-Ups, which helps preserve and enhance their taste.
A Guide on How to Freeze Fruit Roll-Ups
When you freeze Fruit Roll-Ups, they become crunchy, and once you take a bite, it melts in your mouth. To freeze Fruit Roll-Ups, you will need parchment paper.
- Cover the surface with parchment paper.
- Then, keenly unwrap the Fruit Roll-Ups and place them in one layer on the surface.
- Place in the freezer and wait until it completely freezes.
- Get rid of the paper and cut the frozen Fruit Roll-Ups into pieces.
Does Fruit by The Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups Have Health Benefits?
Fruit Roll-Ups can easily trick you into believing they are healthy snacks because of their fruity flavor. On the contrary, they use juice concentrate to enhance the flavor.
Again, they contain high amounts of sugars that are harmful to your teeth and can cause diabetes if you use them regularly.
Even though it’s not the healthiest snack, Fruit Roll-Ups are still popular because they are sweet and contain Vitamin C, which helps boost immunity.
Ingredients used To Manufacture Fruit by the Foot Candy.
They are:
1. Corn Syrup
2. Cane Sugar
3. Maltodextrin
4. Palm Oil
5. Vitamin c
6. Sodium Citrate
7. Monoglycerides
8. Citric Acid
9. Natural Flavors
10. Palm Oil
How to Process Fruit Roll-Ups.
Here is a simple guide on how to make Fruit Roll-Ups.
- First, cook the fruit concentrate until it becomes sticky.
- Put the sticky concentrate on a non-stick surface and completely dry it.
- After drying, it becomes firm and does not stick on your hands.
- You can roll it out or cut it into your preferred shapes and size.
Is Gelatin used in the Manufacture of Fruit by the Foot?
Gelatin is a protein from an animal’s collagen and acts as a stabilizing and thickening agent used in some foods. Fruit by the Foot is dairy free and does not contain Gelatin or gluten. Hence, you can enjoy the snack even if you are lactose intolerant or vegan.
Where can you Buy Fruit Roll-Ups?
You can find Fruit Roll-Ups in most local stores in the US. Here is a list of all the stores that stock up on the Fruit Roll-Ups.
- Walgreen’s
- Walmart
- Target
- S&S Mini Mart.
- Citgo
Fruit Roll-Ups Legal Issue.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sued the Fruit Roll-Ups in 2011 for the misleading information on its packaging. The package had images of natural fruits, so many consumers assumed the snack had real fruits.
On the contrary, the Company used fruit concentrate to manufacture the candy. General Mills Company agreed that it would not use pictures of natural fruits on the package of the Fruit Roll-Ups if it did not contain natural Fruit. However, this only applied to the strawberry package, and in 2014, General Mills removed the strawberry images from the strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups.
Bottom Line.
General Mills manufactures both the Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot candies. You can either store them in an airtight container or freeze them. Even though some Fruit Roll-Ups packaging has pictures of natural fruits, they don’t have the real Fruit, but use juice concentrates for flavor.