Costco blueberry bagel fuss

A viral TikTok this week put Costco’s blueberry bagels under a microscope after a shopper said the label showed “simulated blueberries,” not whole fruit. (tiktok.com) The clip was posted by dietitian Nazima Qureshi and had about 32,700 likes and 709 comments when it was crawled, with the caption saying there were “NO blueberries in these bagels.” (tiktok.com) The ingredient list tied to a Kirkland Signature blueberry bagel on Spoonful does not match that claim exactly: it lists “blueberry flavoured cranberries (4%)” and “blueberries (3%).” (spoonfulapp.com) That means two different things can be true at once: some blueberry bakery products use fruit-flavored pieces, and at least one current Kirkland ingredient listing also shows actual blueberries in the bagel. (spoonfulapp.com) United States food-labeling rules allow manufacturers to use artificial or natural flavoring, but the Food and Drug Administration says foods still have to be “properly labeled.” The agency also says it does not pre-approve labels before products go on sale. (ecfr.gov, fda.gov) Federal rules define “artificial flavor” as a flavoring substance not derived from fruit, vegetables, spices, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, or fermentation products. “Natural flavor” is defined separately as flavor derived from plant or animal sources and used mainly for taste, not nutrition. (ecfr.gov) The bagel flap also revived an older grocery-store issue: blueberry muffins, cereals, and bagels have long used dyed or flavored fruit bits because they are cheaper, more shelf-stable, or easier to bake with than juicy whole berries. (thetakeout.com, costcuisine.com) A 2019 review of Costco’s product referred to “Kirkland Signature Imitation Blueberry Bagels,” suggesting Costco or its suppliers have sold a version marketed that way before. (costcuisine.com) Similar labeling fights have reached court before. A legal summary on Mondaq described a lawsuit over “blueberry” bagels that allegedly contained more imitation blueberry material than real blueberries. (mondaq.com) Costco’s public recalls page showed no blueberry bagel notice when it was crawled, so this is a labeling and ingredient dispute, not a safety alert. (costco.com) For shoppers, the fastest way to sort out the argument is still the ingredient panel: if it lists blueberries, fruit-flavored pieces, colors, or flavorings, the bagel is telling you what kind of “blueberry” it is. (spoonfulapp.com, ecfr.gov)