I was just talking to my daughter Heather and she asked what my letter said that I sent to Del Monte, since their response (see previous blog) was so much about the food being made in China.  Here’s my letter…

December 4, 2008

Dear Del Monte Foods,

I have purchased your fruit cups for years and the last three packages of Diced Pears have been a little weird.  Bubbly…  mushy…  I threw them away as they had been in my cupboard for about a month – even though the expiration date said March of 2009.  I purchased a new 4-pack and opened one this morning with my breakfast.  Bubbly and mushy.  So… I decided to write to you and let you know of this problem.

To my surprise as I turned the package over to find your address – PRODUCT OF CHINA

I will not be buying this product any longer and will look for fruit from the USA !!!!  I would rather buy fresh than purchase this brand.

My sig…

It was really the mushy bubbly problem that made me write… still very odd I didn’t get any coupons!!

Tags: Del Monte

Time flies when you’re Christmas shopping, decorating your house, sending out Christmas cards, etc… etc… etc….

I heard back from Del Monte foods about the pears from China.  Here’s what they said:

Dear Ms. Ezell,

Thank you for your letter about Del Monte Diced Pears in Plastic Cups.  We’re glad you took the time to contact us and appreciate the opportunity to respond.

The vast majority of Del Monte products are produced in the United States.  Some, however, such as Mandarin Oranges, are not grown in commercial quantities in the U.S. and must be sourced from overseas locations.  Also, due to the large amount of products Del Monte produces, we sometimes need to purchase fruits and vegatables from outside the United States so that we can ensure a continuing supply of high quality products for our consumers at an attractive price.  In order to provide the freshest product possible, these fruits and vegatables must be packed immediately in the vicinity where they are harvested.  Likewise, some minor ingredients used in our products are not manufactured domestically, and must be sourced from foreign sources.

Regardless of the country of origin, please know that Del Monte’s strict U.S. quality and operations standards apply to all of our products.  Our pesticide practices, water purity standards, sanitation requirements, finished product quality, and all other standards and procedures apply equally to our U.S. and non-U.S. products.  Additionally, all of our fruit and vegatable products packed outside of the U.S. are clearly labeled with the country of origin.

Thank you again for your letter.  We hope our products will be completely satisfactory in the future.

Sincerely,

Susan M. Smith
Consumer Affairs Representative

So…. that’s that.  I will check labels from now on and try and buy from local growers and always growers from the U.S.   AND…. she didn’t even send me a discount coupon for a Del Monte purchase… odd.

Tags: Del Monte

I have been buysing Del Monte fruit cups for years. They are a nice size, convenient and I really like the diced pears.

I had stocked up and had a few 4-packs in my cupboard - expiration date next March. When I opened one it had bubbles on the top, kind of mushy fruit… weird. I threw them away. I was going to return them to the market, but kept forgetting..

Anyway, I bought a new 4-pack and opened one this morning - bubbles and mushy. I decided to write to Del Monte Foods.

Boy was I surprised to see “PRODUCT OF CHINA” on the bottom just below the Nutrition Facts. I did write to Del Monte Foods and told them I will purchase fruit from the USA next time, not from them. I will be checking product labels more closely!

Tags: Del Monte, Food