So it's Monday night and 8:30pm. I've just left the gym and I had only a lite dinner. I had it in my head that it's ok to have just a fruit parfait and a bottle of water as a late night snack. Something in my head told me better, but I didn't listen.
I get up to the drive-thru and I notice on the menu brightly that they have a new item. Well, it's new to me because I hit McDonalds about twice a year. Anywhoo.. I do the math in my head and figure out that the Apple, Grape & Yogurt tray for $1.89 would be a lot less grams of sugar and probably a better nutritional choice. I order it and drive away happy I made a positive choice.
After fighting with the outer package covering I finally have it open. I notice that there are red and green apple slices mixed in amongst a few stray grapes. Cool deal. I bite into one of the apples and begin to choke. My tongue starts to burn with a fire only similar to gargling bleach. I can feel the burn on the roof of my mouth, and around my gums. I roll down my window and spit it out onto the street while going about 40mph. Sorry about that, officer.
I close up the package and take it home to my husband to see if it's just "me". He bites into one of the apples and immediately gives me the same reaction I had just experienced. Upon examination of the package ingredients, it shows no deliberate preservatives but mentions (more than twice!) that "Vitamin C added as a preservative". In what form? Did they add Vitamin C to formaldehyde and spray it on? I notice on the web site that there are a lot fewer ingredients listed in the nutritional values than on the packaging... A major red flag.
I kept the container on my kitchen counter for three days. So far, the apples still look perfect, including the one that was bitten into. No browning, bruising or decomposing. The grapes have not wilted either. There's a problem here, folks!
Here's a picture of the tray, day three in my 70F house. Think I might have an experiment on my hands. I'll see how long it lasts before I take my report to the corporation. :)
Keep checking back.
~ J
