Food advertising: Picture vs. Product Part II

When we first featured supermarket foods that bore little resemblance to their package photos, we apparently opened a can of, well, worms.

Since then, you’ve told us about many additional offenders. Among the food that doesn't look like what's on the package: crab cakes with “NO CHUNKS of crab meat”; chicken Alfredo with “nary a trace of chicken!!”; a burrito “as flat as a pancake,” even though it was pictured plump with egg and cheese; a sauceless pasta dish that left a reader asking, “Albino spaghetti, anyone?”

We narrowed your stack of submissions to eight winners, or losers. There’s no sure way to tell whether a product will resemble its picture. Checking the ingredients list and weight could help, but until manufacturers decide to represent products accurately, you might still find what one sorry reader did: a ravioli meal that contained—a single ravioli.

With each item (they appear in alphabetical order) we've included a "why the difference": What customer-service reps—and in the case of Silver Palate Grain Berry cereal, the product’s founder—said when we asked about the pictured discrepancies.

Check our Food & Drink Guide for more reports.

Banquet Deep Dish Sausage & Gravy pot pie: Air raid

In the photo, the contents burst out of the cut pastry shell. The real pie looked about half-empty.

Why the difference? “We are so sorry. They really should match up.”

Healthy Choice Oven Roasted Chicken: A pale imitation

An enticing browned chicken breast and golden gravy have been replaced by something white and bland-looking.

Why the difference? “What you see on the box is what you should see in the product. I guess it’s going to lean toward whiter because it’s white-meat chicken.”

IHOP French Toast Stuffed Pastries: Not stuffed

The strawberry “filling” isn’t. “I was so disappointed,” a reader writes.

Why the difference? "We strive for uniformity. We get occasional remarks that maybe there’s not enough filling. We get a lot of compliments, too.”

Michelina’s Cheese Manicotti: Naughty manicotti

Despite the photo of chubby shells occupying what must be a very small dish, we found no oozing cheese. “The box reads ‘Let Mama feed you,’" wrote one reader. “Mama must think I’m morbidly obese.”

Why the difference? “I understand. It is smaller than the picture. We’ve had many complaints.”

Silver Palate Grain Berry Bran Flakes: Berry misleading?

Let’s see: “Berry” in the name, berries in the photo, but inside? Ah—berries of grain.

Why the difference? “I didn’t realize people would be confused, but obviously I didn’t do enough because many people have complained. They’re natural berries of grain, not berries of fruit.”

Special K Pastry Crisps: Caramel is a no-show

The pictured product has an oozing orangey layer. The reality: a thin brown line.

Why the difference? “Unfortunately, I can’t say much. Maybe it’s a matter of a batch not turning out right . . . or the lighting in the photo.”

Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken Breast Strips: Strip tease

Some of these strips were more like nuggets.

Why the difference? “You shouldn’t get crumbs or bits or too many small pieces. It could have been the result of mishandling, crushed in shipping, or a processing error.”

Van’s Blue­berry Waffles: Singing the blues

Forget about whole blueberries; might there at least be blueberry pieces? “Not a speck,” a reader wrote.

Why the difference? “I would like to assure you that I have sent your feedback to Quality Control. We work hard to deliver you the best product we can.”

This article also appeared in the June 2014 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

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