Aldi's superfood coconut

German supermarket Aldi is tapping into what Foodwatch calls the “new healthy​”: coconut products.

The problem with the popularity of coconut as far as retailers and manufacturers are concerned is that it is expensive. Sugar, glucose and gelatine however, are not. The combination of coconut and these cheaper ingredients is what Foodwatch calls “Aldi’s wet dream”​.

The award submission reads: “The ‘desiccated coconut’ contains only a small amount of coconut (37%), mixed with at least three types of sugars: glucose-fructose syrup, sugar and dextrose. Then Aldi has stuck it all together with starch and bovine gelatine. Tada!  You get a 'tropical getaway' from 'desiccated coconut' by as much as 41% sugar! And bovine gelatine? Cows' bones are truly a tropical getaway, right Aldi?”​

The 2015 Golden Egg awards also went to a dried fruit containing mostly sugar; Foodwatch deems Aldi's dessicated coconut a “worthy successor”​.