Cow & Gate Frutapura

I first came across Cow and Gate Frutapura about a year ago when my daughter now nearly two and half decided she was no longer going to eat. She has always been a strange eater from birth unlike her mother who eats anything and everything in site. The next problem we had with Holly was her non-existent bowel movements so along with the Lactulose solution prescribed by the doctor, I still like to make sure she has fruit every day. One pouch counts ...
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'''A bit about Cow and Gate'''

As every parent of babies and toddlers know Cow and Gate are a major maker of Baby and Toddler food.

Cow and Gate originally set up business in 1711, yes that's right 1711, as a small grocery shop at 20 High Street, Guildford by the Gates Family. In 1887 two of the Gates brothers decided to expand into the dairy business and build their own creameries.

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I first came across Cow and Gate Frutapura about a year ago when my daughter now nearly two and half decided she was no longer going to eat. She has always been a strange eater from birth unlike her mother who eats anything and everything in site. The next problem we had with Holly was her non-existent bowel movements so along with the Lactulose solution prescribed by the doctor, I still like to make sure she has fruit every day. One pouch counts as one piece of fruit. Great, now only four portions of fruit and veg to try to get down her a day.

A bit about Cow and Gate

As every parent of babies and toddlers know Cow and Gate are a major maker of Baby and Toddler food.

Cow and Gate originally set up business in 1711, yes that's right 1711, as a small grocery shop at 20 High Street, Guildford by the Gates Family. In 1887 two of the Gates brothers decided to expand into the dairy business and build their own creameries.

Their best selling product was the fresh cream that was sold in little brown jugs with a label showing a cow looking through a gate. The label became famous and it became known as Cow and Gate Cream.

The success of the milk business gave the Gates Brothers a problem, they had large amounts of skimmed milk leftover, so they went over to America and bought drying equipment and started to dry out the milk and began to sell powered milk to the bakery and catering trade and were still using the Cow looking through the Gate label.

They then received a large order for powered milk from a doctor, who was the medical officer for Health in Leicester. He has read a report from America that showed survival rates for the poorer children in New York were greatly increased when powered milk had been added to their diets. At this time 15% of infants in Leicester were failing to reach their first birthday. Doctor Millard conducted trails and reported similar results and published these results in medical journals. Soon orders were flooding in from doctors and hospitals all over the country, so from then on they became known as Cow and Gate baby food suppliers.

Cow and Gate are now based in Trowbridge, Wiltshire and are part of the Danone Group.

Cow and Gate Products

They produce 3 different types of baby milk, 1 night time milk and a follow on milk for toddlers. Juice drinks. Various types of baby food from 4 month onwards, dried and jarred, baby breakfasts and baby rice, baby and toddler biscuits and pureed fruit.

Frutapura

Frutapura comes in two versions a yogart pot type suitable for ages 4 months onwards and in pouches from 12 month onwards.

This review is about the pouch Frutapura.

The pouch version come in three flavours. The pouch is about the size of a deck of cards, made of plastic with a large green screw top lid. Each box contains 4 x 90g pouches and have pictures of fruit on the pouch along with a larger piece of fruit with a cartoon face on it.

Apple and Banana

The main colour of the apple and banana on the box is yellow. You can certainly taste the banana and its not an unpleasant taste. The colour of the frutapura is light brown and looks a bit like an apple that has gone brown.

Each pouch contains 1 small apple, (76%), 1 fifth small banana (20%) half teaspoon concentrated apple juice (4%) and vitamin C. The pouch contains 50 calories, 0.1 g fat and less than 0.01g of sodium.

Fruit Cocktail

The main colour of the fruit cocktail on the box is Green. I can't really pin point any flavour in this pouch but it tastes very sweet and sickly. The colour of the puree is a golden colour.

Each pouch contains three quarters of a small apple (56%), a slice of pear (18%), Quarter of Apricot (12%), a slice of banana (9%) half teaspoon concentrated apple juice (4%), quarter teaspoon orange juice (1.5%) and vitamin C. The pouch contains 51 calories, less than 1g fat and less than 0.01g of sodium.

Exotic Fruits

The main colour on the exotic fruit on the box is a burgundy colour. The mango is the main taste to this puree and is quite pleasant again. The colour of the contents in yellow and reminds me of English Mustard.

Each pouch contains three quarters of a small banana (70%), one eighth mango (22%), juice of half a passion fruit (9%) and vitamin C. The pouch contains 59 calories 0.3g fat and less than 0.01g of sodium.

All the purees are very smooth in texture enabling them to be sucked out of the pouch very easily.

The pouches can be kept either in a fridge or cupboard. Once the pouch is opened it can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The best before date is normally around a year.

My opinion

The are great for keeping in the cupboard or fridge and are great for popping in your handbag when you are going out or putting in a lunch box. The make a great afternoon healthy snack. The ingredients are all natural and not an E number in site. They taste reasonable to my and my daughter loves them.

They are a perfect size for holding in little hands. My daughters busy schedule during the day, especially in the warm weather, does not permit her to take time out to eat something. However, these she can suck whilst playing pushing teddy in her pushchair, or in between running round the garden, terrorising the cats and dogs or driving round the garden on her ride on buggy. (Holly has such a busy day, I just don't know where her energy comes from). You do need the open the screw top to crack the seal but I can then gently place the lid back on and sit the pouch on my table and she is able to remove the lid when she is ready to eat it. They are rather expensive at just under 50p per pouch but at least I know this is something that will not be wasted. We have a holiday coming up soon to Turkey and after going to Egypt last year and finding fruit in the hotel only being available at breakfast, I shall certainly be packing a few boxes of these in the suitcase again for Holly's afternoon snack..

All flavours are available from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose for £1.92 for a box of four. Tesco do make their own version but I am not keen on these as the are unable to stand up but they are cheaper.

They are recyclable if you council collect plastic.

Prices taken from the mysupermarket website.

More reading can be found on the Cow and gate website at www.cowandgate.co.uk.

Many thanks for reading Anna and Holly. 

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