Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.
Griffin’s Bacon Flavored Syrup…new. Griffin’s Syrup…old. Really old. (Spotted by April at Brookshire’s.)
Copycakes? (Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
I’m ashamed to admit that this is the first time I’ve seen any Snack Pack Juicy Gels. I thought Snack Pack only made pudding. Bad, junk food reviewer! Bad! (Spotted by Marvo at Safeway.)
Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.
Also, if you’re wondering if we’ve already covered something, search our Flickr photos or use the Google Search box on the right (or below if you’re on a mobile device) to find out.
Is snack packs not allowed to use the word Gelatin? Juicy gel sounds weird and slightly disgusting.
They don’t use gelatin, which is usually a truly disgusting product of animal origin…. Their gel snacks are accidentally vegan except possibly for the sugar if they use bone char to filter it. If you’re sensitive to carrageenan, though, you’ll have to stick with the disgusting gelatin desserts or look for ones with another gelling agent you can tolerate.
I’m a chemist and another chemist friend years ago thought that most food gelatin was now synthetic rather than of disgusting animal origin, but I haven’t ever confirmed that so it might have been wishful thinking (her husband was Jewish and kept kosher). Jello uses beef gelatin, which can make it ok for people keeping kosher or halal (I think they have the needed label, since there are other requirements). I really haven’t seen any indication of non-animal gelatin being used, either on food labels or in lists compiled by vegan/vegetarian sources. Vegetarian gelled desserts use a variety of gelling agents such as agar-agar. Mainstream producers seem more likely to use carrageenan as a processing aid in many foods now, and I think we’re seeing more sensitivities/allergies pop up due to overexposure. I don’t have trouble with it myself, although inulin (chicory root extract) can make my innards self-destruct for a few days if I get too much at once. That’s in everything almost today also, to artificially boost the fiber content on the label. Helpful hint: no slice of bread should have more than about 3 grams of fiber. Fiber does not usually belong in ice cream. If it’s there, check the ingredients …. Although I have had really good non-dairy fudgesicles that included pea fiber with no harm.
Very interesting Anon, especially the sugar filtering. How common is that?
They also make these gels sugar free.