A shopper at Walmart compared relish from a nationally-known brand and Walmart’s store brand, and determined something surprising in the process.
The video looking at Vlasic sweet relish vs. Great Value sweet relish comes courtesy of creator @papastone101. The TikTok has received close to 27,000 views as of Friday morning.
He starts by referencing an earlier video he put up comparing Great Value milk to a more expensive brand, and then set up the comparison between the two relishes.
“I found people are coming in there talking about how bad the Great Value milk brand was, but I’ve never thought that,” he began, and then looked at the relishes. He compared Great Value’s 15.7 cents per ounce to Vlasic’s 17 cents per ounce.
“So, not that much different,” he assesses. “But I want to show you something. This right here. I don’t know if you can see it, but the first ingredient is cucumbers.”
He holds up the Vlasic jar and says, “The next ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. OK, you compare that to the Great Value brand, and they say their second ingredient is not high fructose corn syrup. It’s sugar. Sugar is better than high fructose corn syrup.”
He also notes that the Vlasic jar had Yellow 5 dye in it, which, according to Healthline, “is an artificial food color (AFC) that was approved for use in foods in 1969 by the FDA. Its purpose to is make foods — particularly highly processed foods like candy, soda, and breakfast cereals — appear more fresh, flavorful, and appetizing.” It has since been deemed unsafe for kids by the European Union.
“Why do we need dye in our stuff?” the TikToker asked. “We don’t! We don’t need dye in our stuff.”
He then concludes that the Great Value relish was not only cheaper, but healthier.
@papastone101 #dyefree#greatvalue#healthyliving ♬ original sound – papastone101
What’s up with high fructose corn syrup?
High fructose corn syrup is used in a number of products as a sweetener. WebMD notes that it “was introduced in the 1970s. It has the same calories as other added sugars. High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper than sugar, with better flavor enhancement and longer shelf life. It’s more stable and consistent, especially in acidic foods and drinks.”
While that site contends it is about as much of a risk as sugar is to health, Healthline thinks differently, listing six different reasons that it is unhealthy, including adding an unnatural amount of fructose to one’s diet, increasing one’s risk of fatty liver disease, and increasing one’s risk of obesity and weight gain.
The article concludes, “Avoiding high-fructose corn syrup — and added sugar in general — may be one of the most effective ways to improve your health and lower your risk of disease.”
What do fellow Walmart shoppers think?
A number of Walmart shoppers entered the comments section to opine on Great Value.
One offered, “Great Value has so much dye free food now!!”
Another said, “I love the Walmart dye free sprinkles! it helps me feel less guilty about making my kids’ pancakes fun!”
“My grandparents both have to eat healthy whole food diets and they’ve always chosen Great Value brands over name brands,” someone shared. “And now I see why.”
A few commenters insisted what’s on the back of the label and not the front of the label is what matters.
“Always read ingredients no matter what the brand it is,” one said.
Another warned, “Check the labels because they change daily.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and to Walmart and Vlasic via email.
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