Del Monte Fruit Cocktail review

What is in the tin

The ingredients, as UK supermarkets list them, are fruit in variable proportions (peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes and cherries coloured with E127), clarified pineapple juice from concentrate and citric acid as an acidity regulator. The drained weight is 250g of a 415g tin. The juice can change with the season; Del Monte's European pages mention pineapple, grape or pear juice, so the label on your tins decides.

Supermarket nutrition panels give 49 kcal, 0g fat, 11g carbohydrate of which 11g sugars, 1g fibre, 0.5g protein and 0.1g salt per 100g. Del Monte Europe's own page shows slightly different figures, 50 kcal and 0.6g fibre, which may describe a different pack. The sugar is the fruit's own plus the juice; there is no added sugar, which is what the NHS asks of tinned fruit.

Why fruit belongs in a store

A cupboard of beans, tuna and soup is short on fruit, and after a few days of a power cut or a snowed-in week, something sweet and fresh-tasting matters for morale, particularly with children. The NHS counts tinned fruit towards 5 A Day and says to choose fruit in natural juice or water rather than added sugar. Counting the juice, a tin gives roughly 200 kcal across its 415g, so it is a pudding for two or a breakfast topping, not the thing that feeds anyone. Our how much food to store guide puts it alongside the calorie-dense tins.

Opening, keeping and dates

There is nothing to do but open the tin. Once opened, supermarkets' labels say to empty the fruit into a non-metallic container, cover it, refrigerate and use within three to four days. In a power cut with the fridge off, that means opening a tin only when it will be finished at one sitting. Our power cut food safety guide covers the fridge side.

The tin carries a best-before date, which GOV.UK describes as being about quality rather than safety; a sound, undented tin past its best-before is usually fine to eat. Do not use a tin that is swollen, leaking or badly dented. See our use-by vs best-before guide.

How it compares

On the tinned food page, this is the fruit option. Ambrosia Deluxe rice pudding gives more than twice the calories a tin and also eats cold. Del Monte's peach slices in juice are the same idea with one fruit and no coloured cherries, which some people prefer for children. The savoury tins, from beans to Grant's stew, do the feeding; this one makes the cupboard feel less like rations.

Our verdict

A sensible case of fruit for a household that already eats tinned fruit with yoghurt or custard and will rotate it. Skip it if you are buying for calories: the rice pudding and the beans give far more per tin, and if nobody at home eats fruit cocktail now, twelve tins will sit until they are thrown away.

How many calories are in a tin of Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Juice?

Supermarket labels give 49 kcal per 100g. Across the full 415g, fruit and juice together, that is about 200 kcal; the drained fruit alone is 250g.

Does Del Monte Fruit Cocktail have added sugar?

No. The listed ingredients are fruit, clarified pineapple juice from concentrate and citric acid. The 11g of sugars per 100g come from the fruit and juice.

Can I eat Del Monte Fruit Cocktail cold in a power cut?

Yes. It is ready to eat from the tin with no heating. Once opened, move it to a covered non-metallic container and eat it within three to four days, or at one sitting if the fridge is off.

What is E127 in the cherries?

E127 is erythrosine, a red colour used on the cherries. If you want to avoid it, Del Monte's peach slices in juice have no colour listed.