Blue Band Roombeter one of the contenders for the 2023 Golden Wind Egg
The Golden Wind Egg is the ‘prize’ that food watchdog Foodwatch awards every year to the most misleading food product of the year. Apple Bandit 0.0 Cider, Hero B’tween Protein, Blue Band Roombeter, Lidl/Crownfield 7 Grain Breakfast and Danio Creamy Quark Pistachio Flavour are the contenders for the prize that no food producer wants to win.
Child marketing, shrinkflation, misleading labels and health claims: Foodwatch exposes them and fights in all kinds of ways for the right to fair, safe and healthy food. Which food manufacturer doesn’t shudder at the thought of the Golden Wind Egg—the only election you don’t want to win? Well, perhaps you shouldn’t have put ‘artisanal’ on your factory-made product, charged 15 times more for the same product in smaller packaging, or tried to convince shoppers with false health claims.
Nominated for the 2023 Golden Wind Egg
Starting today, you can vote for a month on what you consider the most misleading marketing trick of 2023. The choice is between Apple Bandit 0.0 Cider, Hero B’tween Protein, Blue Band Roombeter, Lidl/Crownfield 7 Grain Breakfast and Danio Creamy Quark Pistachio Flavour. Below, you can read why these particular products deserve your vote.
Pure deception
Hero B’tween Protein: what is worse: the absurdity of an expensive ‘extra protein’ product, because most Dutch people already get enough protein every day and a handful of unsalted peanuts contains more protein than such a Hero bar? Or the fact that half the packaging consists of hot air?
The deception with Blue Band Roombeter lies in how cunningly the name and packaging resemble those of this plant-based alternative to butter. Roombeter is spelled with an ‘e’ instead of an ‘o’, and it also comes in a gold wrapper and tub. “Clever marketing trick” and “How cheeky!” are common reactions from angry consumers.
Apple Bandit 0.0 Cider is not alcohol-free cider but an apple-flavoured soft drink. One that is five times as expensive as a supermarket own-brand apple soft drink, though. Parent company Heineken is cleverly tapping into the alcohol-free trend and ‘brews’ this ‘cider’ with, among other things, carbonated water, apple juice concentrate and sugar.
Lidl/Crownfield 7 Grain Breakfast was nominated because of the optical illusion on the packaging. The ‘7 grain’ mix consists of 88% wholegrain wheat, while each of the other six grains accounts for just 2%. The images of the seven grain varieties are, however, all shown at the same size on the back of the packaging. And that is not allowed.
The aroma alarm has gone off again this year. Danio Creamy Quark Pistachio Flavour from Danone contains not a milligram of fresh pistachio. Yet there are two enormous pistachios prominently displayed on the packaging. The flavour comes from a natural flavouring, and Danio does not want to say what its base is. Cheeky!
Have your say
Anyone who wants to take part can vote from now on via www.goudenwindei.nl. The product that receives the most votes will win the Golden Wind Egg in mid-December: the prize no food manufacturer wants.
Also read:
- Knorr’s Poké Bowl with ‘lots of delicious vegetables’ is extremely misleading
- 10 truffle products from the supermarket that require a magnifying glass
- 5x what food packaging would look like if it were more honest
