Your bagel may contain blueberries that aren't

Updated: January 21, 2011 - 8:54 PM

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LOS ANGELES - Fake blueberries are usually plastic and can be found with other fake fruits in decorative arrangements or on bizarre hats.

Now, apparently, they can be found in food. A range of fake blueberries are in a number of retail food items that contain labels or photos suggesting real blueberries were used in the products, according to an investigation.

The nonprofit Consumer Wellness Center reported that its investigation found "blueberries" that were nothing more than a concoction of sugar, corn syrup, starch, hydrogenated oil, artificial flavors and artificial food dye blue No. 2 and red No. 40.

The offenders are well-known manufacturers such as Kellogg's, Betty Crocker and General Mills, and the fakes were found in bagels, cereals, breads and muffins. Some products contain real blueberries mixed with fakes. For example, the blueberry bagels sold at Target contain some real berries but the "blueberry bits" listed in the ingredients aren't real blueberries, according to Mike Adams, the author of the report.

Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Blueberry Muffin variety has no blueberries but does have "blueberry flavored crunchies" made from the sugar-and-dye concoction mentioned above. Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal, from General Mills, contains no blueberries and no pomegranates.

To avoid fraudulent blueberries posing as real berries, look on ingredient lists for red No. 40, blue No. 2 or any artificial colors, Adams said.

LOS ANGELES TIMES