Food Biz Kids: 'Give them to Fear Factor.'

If you have a new product you want to test on our 7th-grade panelists, contact Diane Toops at Dtoops@putman.net, or (630) 467-1300, ext. 321.

Berry Blasters Sour Cherry Flavored Berries Victor Packing, Madera, Calif. (www.berryblasters.com)

They are so good! They smell like raisins, but taste like sour cranberries. The texture is bumpy and funny looking. It’s great packaging for kids and even grownups. I think the cover is creative and fun. It’s a good snack to put on the market.

Dontrell Knighten, 7th grade:

The packaging for these little candies is very appealing. Little kids would go for it. But when you open the package, you feel the rough dried grapes. They smell like cherry, which is OK, but when they go in your mouth, they taste like sour cherries. I really don’t think this is needed in the world of snacks.

Naomi Essome, 7th grade:

The packaging is very interesting. It definitely catches your eye if you’re walking down an aisle at the grocery store. They’re raisins with different flavors. They smell fruity; it’s just the taste that’s different. I myself think they taste pretty good, but honestly it’s not something we really need. I think that raisins should keep their original flavor and not become Willy Wonka raisins in every flavor known to mankind.

Sean Lavelle, 7th grade:

The package is attractive and eye-catching and tells the whole truth. What’s most interesting is on the back. It says they’re good for cooking, as a topping or a baking ingredient. When I opened the package, the smell overpowered me, and I almost couldn’t breathe for a second. Under the name it says, “The Power of Sour.” It’s almost too powerful – too much sourness for too small a snack. To be honest, there is very little flavor.

Najeema Muhammed-bey, 7th grade:

I think the creative thought of sour raisins is very good and nutritious for you. They taste like they have a lot of sugar, but they don’t. It’s a very good and interesting snack, and nothing needs to be changed. They are better than fruit snacks because they have more flavor. They look jelly-like and juicy.

Claire Winter, 7th grade:

The packaging is good and easy to open. It appeals to my eye, and that’s good. It tastes good; I like the bit of sour, but it doesn’t smell good.

Chris Eddy, 7th grade:

The packaging is bright, colorful and eye-catching. It smells very sour – almost made me cry. The texture feels like raisins, sticky and wrinkly. It’s too sour, and tastes of artificial cherry. They are nasty, however, I’m sure some kids would like them. It is a good way to get them to eat raisins, which are healthy. I’m sticking to regular old cherries.

Rachel Blechman, 7th grade:

I like that the packaging is nice and bright, but not too standoffish. They taste better than they smell – sweet and tart at the same time. The texture is chewy, but they are very good – a way to get kids to eat raisins. I enjoyed them very much but they should say the name of the fruit somewhere on the front.

Elsa McNeilly, 7th grade:

The packaging is bright and colorful with interesting faces and font choice. Plus, it’s an easy package to open. I must say, at first glance they look to be raisins, black and shriveled. They taste gross and are hard to chew. Due to Gushers, Fruit Rollups and other fruit snacks, I doubt they will do well in the market.

Christian Pelayo, 7th grade:

The packaging is weird and doesn’t need so much color. There is no reason for this product to exist – just give it to Fear Factor.

Derah Towns, 7th grade:

Berry Blasters might taste a little tart when you first start eating them, but after a while, they don’t taste so sour. They taste like raisins with a sour twist. Kids might think they are appealing and want to buy them because they look like fruit snacks.