Dole vs Del Monte Fruit Cups: Sugar, Gel and Juice

The biggest label difference is in the gel-packed cups. Del Monte's peaches in peach flavored gel list 18 g total sugars per 128 g cup, compared with 12 g per 123 g cup for Dole, and Dole's cup lists 10 g of added sugars while Del Monte's older-format panel shows no Added Sugars line. The 100% juice cups match on the figures listed, with 13 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars per 113 g cup for both brands. This page sets the label facts side by side so you can weigh them yourself.

Key takeaways

• Gel format: Del Monte lists 18 g total sugars per 128 g cup, and Dole lists 12 g per 123 g cup.
• Dole's gel cup lists 10 g added sugars (20% DV). Del Monte's gel added sugars were not disclosed.
• Juice format: both brands list 13 g total sugars and 0 g added sugars per 113 g cup.
• Del Monte's gel cup is colored with carmine, which FDA requires to be named on labels. Dole's gel cup uses sweet potato concentrate and beta carotene for color and contains carrageenan.

At a glance, per serving, as printed on each brand page

Factor	Dole gel (123 g)	Del Monte gel (128 g)	Dole juice (113 g)	Del Monte juice (113 g)
Calories	60	80	60	60
Total sugars	12 g	18 g	13 g	13 g
Added sugars	10 g (20% DV)	Not disclosed	0 g (0% DV)	0 g (0% DV)
Sodium	30 mg	15 mg	0 mg	10 mg
Total carbohydrate	14 g (5% DV)	19 g (6% DV)	14 g (5% DV)	15 g (5% DV)
Dietary fiber	Less than 1 g (4% DV)	1 g (4% DV)	Less than 1 g (3% DV)	1 g (4% DV)
Potassium	60 mg	45 mg (1% DV)	110 mg (2% DV)	Not disclosed
Vitamin C	18 mg	30% DV	27 mg (30% DV)	Not disclosed
Color additives	Sweet potato concentrate, beta carotene	Carmine	None in ingredient list	None in ingredient list
Thickeners	Carrageenan, locust bean gum	Gum blend (dextrose, gellan, xanthan, locust bean gums)	None in ingredient list	None in ingredient list

Which Dole and Del Monte Peach Cups Have More Sugar? The Gel Cup Gap Explained

In the gel format, Del Monte's cup lists 18 g of total sugars per 128 g serving, while Dole's lists 12 g per 123 g serving. In the 100% juice format, both brands list 13 g of total sugars per 113 g serving.

The gel gap is 6 g on the total sugars line, and Del Monte's cup is also 5 g heavier. Both gel cups list sugar directly after water and peaches in the ingredient list, so ingredient order does not by itself explain the difference. Total sugars include sugars that occur naturally in fruit as well as any added sugars, so this figure is broader than the added sugars line discussed below.

The juice cups show no gap on this measure. Both list the same 13 g of total sugars and 60 calories for a 113 g cup.

Are Del Monte Fruit Cups Healthy? What the Label Shows

A food label cannot settle whether a product is healthy for a particular person. The Del Monte gel cup panel lists 80 calories, 18 g total sugars, 1 g dietary fiber, and 15 mg sodium per 128 g serving. Its juice cup lists 60 calories, 13 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, and 10 mg sodium per 113 g serving.

Dole Fruit Cups Nutrition: What the Panels List

Dole's gel cup panel lists 60 calories, 12 g total sugars, 10 g added sugars, 30 mg sodium, and less than 1 g of fiber per 123 g serving. Dole's juice cup lists 60 calories, 13 g total sugars, 0 g added sugars, 0 mg sodium, less than 1 g of fiber, and 110 mg potassium per 113 g serving.

How Much Added Sugar Is in Dole and Del Monte Peach Cups?

Dole's peaches in peach flavored gel list 10 g of added sugars per 123 g cup, which is 20% of the Daily Value. Del Monte's gel cup panel has no Added Sugars line, so its added sugar amount was not disclosed. Both juice cups list 0 g added sugars per 113 g serving.

FDA's added sugars definition covers sugars added during processing or packaging, including sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. It does not cover naturally occurring sugars in fruit. The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day, according to FDA.

Both juice cups list white grape juice concentrate in the ingredient list, and FDA's definition includes sugars from concentrated fruit juices, yet both panels show 0 g added sugars. Neither brand page explains how that 0 g figure was calculated. For more on how fruit and juice ingredients show up on labels, see Fruit on the Ingredient List: 5 Scanned Products, 5 Different Jobs.

Is Carmine in Del Monte Peach Cups Safe, and Why Is It on the Label?

Del Monte's peaches in peach flavored gel are colored with carmine, and FDA requires carmine and cochineal extract to be identified by name on food labels because they can cause allergic reactions in some people. The ingredient list ends with 'Carmine Color,' and the amount used was not disclosed.

The declaration exists so people who react to it can identify it. The FDA statement does not go further than that, so this article does not add any health-effect claim beyond it.

Dole's gel cup uses sweet potato concentrate and beta carotene for color, and its ingredient list does not name carmine. Neither juice ingredient list names a color additive. Anyone with a known sensitivity should read the ingredient list on the package in hand, since individual reactions cannot be predicted from a label.

Which Peach Cup Has Carrageenan, Dole or Del Monte?

Dole's peaches in peach flavored gel list carrageenan and locust bean gum as thickeners. Del Monte's gel cup does not list carrageenan. Its thickener is a gum blend of dextrose, gellan, xanthan, and locust bean gums, so locust bean gum is the one thickener the two gel cups share. For what carrageenan is and how it is regulated, see Is Carrageenan Safe? Uses, Safety, and Regulatory Status.

Do the Juice-Packed Dole and Del Monte Peach Cups Differ on Ingredients?

The Dole and Del Monte juice-packed cups both have short ingredient lists built around peaches, water, and white grape juice concentrate, with lemon juice concentrate, natural flavors, and ascorbic acid also appearing. Neither juice ingredient list includes added sugar, gums, carmine, or carrageenan.

The lists are arranged differently. Dole's lists each juice concentrate with its own water and names natural flavors and ascorbic acid. Del Monte's places lemon juice concentrate, ascorbic acid, and natural flavor under a 'Contains 2% or less of' statement, which signals that those ingredients make up a small share of the product.

The panels also differ in what they disclose. Dole's juice cup lists 110 mg potassium (2% DV) and 27 mg vitamin C (30% DV). Del Monte's juice cup panel does not disclose potassium or vitamin C amounts.

How Do Dole and Del Monte Peach Cups Compare on Calories, Sodium, and Fiber?

Per serving, the gel cups list 60 calories for Dole and 80 for Del Monte, with 30 mg and 15 mg of sodium. Both gel cups list 0 g protein. The juice cups both list 60 calories, with 0 mg sodium for Dole and 10 mg for Del Monte.

Fiber is close across the pairs. Dole's gel cup lists less than 1 g (4% DV) and Del Monte's lists 1 g (4% DV). Dole's juice cup lists less than 1 g (3% DV) and Del Monte's lists 1 g (4% DV). Because the gel cups weigh 123 g and 128 g, per-gram comparisons shift slightly, so the per-serving figures are the ones printed on the panels.

For vitamin and mineral content, Dole's gel cup lists 60 mg potassium and 18 mg vitamin C. Del Monte's gel cup lists 45 mg potassium (1% DV) and vitamin C at 30% DV, and its older-format panel also lists vitamin A at 2%.

How Can You Check the Current Labels on These Peach Cups?

Check the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient list on the package in hand, since product formulas and panels can change and the Del Monte gel panel uses an older format. Use these checkpoints:

• Serving size and weight: 1 cup per serving, listed as 123 g for Dole's gel cup, 128 g for Del Monte's gel cup, and 113 g for both juice cups.
• Total sugars and the Added Sugars line, which may be missing on older-format panels.
• Carmine, carrageenan, and gum names such as gellan or xanthan in the ingredient list.
• Color ingredients such as sweet potato concentrate or beta carotene.
• Any 'Contains 2% or less of' statement, which points to ingredients present in small amounts.
• Country of origin. Dole's page states 'Made in Thailand,' while Del Monte's country of origin was not disclosed.

For these four cups, the only added sugar amount printed is Dole's 10 g (20% DV) in the gel cup. Del Monte's gel cup added sugars were not disclosed, and both juice cups show 0 g. The 0 g figure on a juice cup does not change the 13 g total sugars line printed on the same panel, which is why reading both lines matters. For how 10 g compares with daily added sugar guidance for children, see How Much Added Sugar Should Kids Have a Day? By Age, in Grams.