Canstar Blue’s first-ever review of frozen fruits compares ALDI Orchard & Vine, Creative Gourmet, Coles, and Woolworths on taste, quality of produce, range variety, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
ALDI Orchard & Vine was rated best for overall satisfaction and across the board in Canstar Blue’s review of frozen fruits.
If you prefer to make your morning smoothie with berries harvested straight from your freezer or buy frozen fruits to keep as a backup like 43% of Aussies we surveyed, you’ll know there’s a huge difference in the quality, variety, and price of frozen produce. So, which brands are worth stocking up on and which aren’t?
To find out, we’ve canvassed the opinions of nearly 500 Aussies consumers who’ve purchased (from a supermarket) and consumed frozen fruits in the last six months. Respondents rated their respective brands on important factors including taste, quality of produce, range variety, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction. Those that received the minimum required survey sample size of 30 responses are included in our results.
ALDI’s Orchard & Vine range was rated best for overall satisfaction and in all categories!
Here are the best brands of supermarket frozen fruits in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s inaugural review:
ALDI took out the top spot in our frozen fruits review after being the only brand to score five stars in any and all categories, including taste, quality of produce, range variety, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction. The remaining brands were rated four stars overall.
ALDI’s Orchard & Vine frozen range includes mixed berries, raspberries, and blueberries − packed in a resealable bag inside each box. Prices start from $4.99 (500g). The budget supermarket says Orchard & Vine products are frozen fresh within 24 hours of harvesting, which locks in both nutrition and flavour.
The best fruits to buy frozen include bananas, berries, grapes, and mangoes because they retain more nutrients frozen, while other fruits like apples, oranges, and watermelon are better fresh. Frozen fruits are typically frozen at their peak of ripeness which means they tend to retain more nutrients and flavour than fresh produce which ripens or decays too quickly.
There’s virtually no risk of food poisoning by consuming frozen fruits unless the product was contaminated before freezing. This is very unlikely though, but some frozen fruit products have previously been recalled due to contamination risks. Most frozen fruits found in supermarkets are snap frozen at the peak of freshness and ripeness, which means they’re often fresher than canned fruits.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Content Lead, Megan Birot. She’s an expert on household appliances, health & beauty products, as well as all things grocery and shopping. When she’s not writing up our research-based ratings reports, Megan spends her time helping consumers make better purchase decisions, whether it’s at the supermarket, other retailers, or online, highlighting the best deals and flagging anything you need to be aware of.
Picture credits: CLICKMANIS, Shutterstock.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased (from the frozen section of the supermarket) and eaten frozen fruits in the last six months – in this case, 477 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
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