Grāpple facts for kids
A Grāpple (pronounced GRAYP-əl) is a special kind of apple that has been made to taste like a grape. It's not a new type of fruit grown from a tree, but rather a regular apple that has been given a grape flavor. The company that makes Grāpples uses Fuji or Gala apples for this process.
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What is a Grāpple?
A Grāpple is a brand of apple that tastes like a Concord grape. It gets its name because it's an apple that tastes like a grape. It's important to know that it's a regular apple that has been flavored, not a mix of an apple and a grape plant.
How Grāpples are Made
Grāpples are made by soaking apples in a special liquid. This liquid contains concentrated grape flavor and water. The main ingredient for the grape flavor is something called methyl anthranilate, which is a natural compound found in grapes. The apples absorb this flavor, making their flesh taste like grapes.
Is it a Hybrid Fruit?
Even though its name sounds like "grape" and "apple" put together, a Grāpple is not a true hybrid fruit. A hybrid fruit is created when two different types of plants are bred together. Grāpples are simply regular apples that have been flavored on the outside.
Keeping it Healthy
The special liquid used to flavor Grāpples does not add extra sugar or calories to the apple. This means a Grāpple has the same nutritional value as a regular apple. All the ingredients used in Grāpples are approved by important government groups in the United States. These include the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The way Grāpples are made is also approved by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
Grāpple and the Environment
The company that makes Grāpples often sells them in plastic containers. This use of plastic packaging has received some criticism. For example, in 2019, a Canadian TV show called CBC Marketplace looked into how much plastic packaging is used for different products. Grāpple's plastic packaging was seen as one of the biggest examples of too much plastic being used for consumer products.
