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It's the revenge of the raisins here in California. Our agriculture-friendly state takes their food products seriously, which is why the California Raisin Advisory Board (yes, the fine folks who brought us the singing, dancing, Motown-ing California Raisins of the 80s) has launched a "smear" campaign to bring down Craisins, those manufactured sweetened cranberries.
It's "an outright fruit snack smack-down" reports the Los Angeles Times, adding:
Raisin growers this year will pay $5 a ton to finance a $1.5-million anti-Craisin campaign. A "Let's Keep It Real" website was launched last Friday, featuring a video of shocked and dismayed mothers "learning the truth about Craisins."
So what is the "truth" about Craisins? They are cranberries that are cracked open in halves, then jammed up with sugar, which turns them into "Craisins," those flavored, packaged treats with an aura of healthfulness. And do not be fooled: A Craisin is not a raisin. (The California Raisin Industry says that's a common misconception.)
"Let's Keep it Real" is the name of the campaign, and their site includes a set of videos showing real mothers' reactions when they learn how Craisins are made and what goes in them.
Processing - How Raisins Stack Up Against Craisins(r) from California Raisins on Vimeo.
Also, something the Raisin Board might want to point out: Craisins can't dance. Which is a shame, really, because what a good smack-down can always use is a dance-off.
