An Apple That Tastes Like a Grape: The Politics of Food

[@chrisspahr7264]

Who else is here because of nileblue

[@mccarty9709]

Me

[@thinclient5318]

Me.

[@ChelsiBoo92]

Me lol

[@Sniperboy5551]

I guess I’m not the only nerd here. That part where they mixed the flavoring bath looked exactly the same as Nile’s video did.

[@nickjenkey]

Yeah lol

[@gaiusbaltar4850]

"That logo is famous all around the world." No, it's not. Never seen it before.

[@BlGGESTBROTHER]

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS THEREFOR NOBODY DOES!

[@simplelife7522]

mhotl given that she said it’s famous worldwide, you’d have thought we’d be semi familiar with the brand. It’s certainly not famous here in England where I’m from.

[@danielnunez1587]

Yeah never heard of it

[@sirdeadlock]

A lot of Washington produce gets shipped across the Pacific ocean, like to Japan and that general area. So you're probably not going to see it in places that have their own apples. If perhaps you have Tree Top brand apple juice or apple sauce, or something made with Washington apples in it, then you might see the logo down in the production credits.

[@Ultraxmang]

That Washington Apple Ad was like something out of a Tim and Eric sketch.

[@Stargazer88]

you keep surprising me vice! A film about artificially flavoured apples that doesn't conclude with "ew! this is wrong, bad corporation!". But actually asks some well reasoned questions and leaves it up to the consumer? Cool, man.

[@edwinliew1805]

The sarcasm is strong with this one.

[@Stargazer88]

Edwin Liew is it?

[@edwinliew1805]

Stargazer88 The reporter stresses and focuses that the flavoring used can be doubled up as a bird repellent as if it is some sort of arsenic poison. You know what else can be doubled up as a sterilizer that kills bacteria and insect? Salt.

[@Stargazer88]

Edwin Liew no, they tried to investigate how they might have invented the grapple, the use of grape flavouring as a pesticide is a credible way. I'm not being sarcastic here. I think they gave a decently evenhanded and objective report. There is no part of this where they scream out "OMG poison!" or alike. They give us information and ask us to make up our own minds. They never spoke of it merely as "a chemical" but tried to inform us on what it actually is, a FDA approved artificial flavouring that also happens to be used as a bird deterrent. Isn't that what it is?

[@Menuki]

It does put important questions out there. We so often puff out our chest in righteous indignation without thinking about the human element. Just the simple act of survival. If we really want to split hairs, the first ingredient in almost all insecticides is water. Both nicotine and caffeine are used as insecticides; it's why plants developed them in the first place. Although, I do think further research should be put into find out what a lethal dose would be.

[@sheeplols]

Now make Broccoli that taste like Chicken!

[@dannydo6681]

sheeplols broccoli is fire idk what you talking bout

[@jasonr9969]

You must be a must fat ass to not like broccoli

[@Sniperboy5551]

Broccoli isn’t that bad, but cauliflower is better

[@Munchies]

This edition of Politics of Food explores one of the strangest fruits available in the world today.

[@DevintheHIGHRISH]

I am from wenatchee/still live here, GRAPPLES TASTE LIKE SHIT LOL

[@arianadimande1631]

In my old school,we went to the same Grapple website and did an experiment on it:What is the difference in the conclusion if we cut small holes in the apple and dip it in,or leave it normal then dip it in?We got a surprise that the closed ones had the most flavor.We actually didn't only use grape JUICE we used other juices!

[@PeterTysdal]

hearing people say "Grapple" was worth 26 minutes.

[@wadej347]

Working in a produce department for years taught me that the "good" produce is usually lacking in taste and flavours but they look perfect most apples are wax polished its kind of ridiculous.

[@DrPeculiar312]

GRAPPLE IS BIRD REPELLANT

[@killercaos123]

LOVE LOVE LOVING the series Vice. This "Politics of Food" is so interesting, in-depth and highly engaging. Some of your stuff being uploaded to KZbin can be boring, dull or just unpleasant. But this was just awesome. Really really liking it all. Also, if you go the Famers Market in downtown Seattle you can see all different kinds of ridiculously grown veges and fruits. Dive into that market, and you'll be astonished.

[@munchies1867]

This was honestly very informative. Seriously. Thank you.

[@strumdynasty3050]

*Dip apples in grape flavoring to make them grape flavored* “This is so complicated and mysterious”

[@sanctifymymusic]

Being around the Washington apple industry my whole life I have to say this story was wonderfully told and as unbiased as I think someone can be when talking about the food we eat. Great job and I learned a bit about those grapples I've only eaten one time.

[@HandMadeByKristen]

I have lived in Washington most of my life. The Wenatchee area has changed drastically in the last 20 years around the large corporations. Many small farmers have had no choice but to conform to high pesticide orchards and small variety or lose the farm. The few small farms that are left have amazing produce that does not need a gimmick. And I don't know anyone who likes the Red Delishious. I would love to see a continuation on this topic and the impressions of more small organic farmers on the fruit industry.

[@smokeandmirr0rs]

I never would've thought they would use bird repellant to make grape flavored apples lol genius!

[@danialeremenko486]

Curse You NeilBlue!

[@SONOFAZOMBIE2025]

Was pleasantly surprised that not everyone here wanted to gorge themselves on grapples. Still some hope ☺ Those grapples would make Monsanto blush! lol Anyways, thanks Munchies, great journalism here.

[@linited]

You guys can keep the Grapple over in the USA I'll stick to my pink lady apples. Though I would love to go to that feil fruit farm. Those apples looked GREAT! Thanks munchies. More videos like this please.

[@anakinsaephanh2134]

Grapple? I thought I heard of such in a cartoon called 'Chowder'...

[@ninjalemurdude]

Yes. This sounds very familiar.

[@Fryho]

4:22 sorry to disappoint you, I'm 21 years old, from the Netherlands and have never ever seen that logo before

[@Hyphy101dre]

Everyone spam their facebook page asking why they won't let them see the process

[@NotSoBuff]

Man I’m glad I found this I thought I was going crazy remembering this and nobody heard of this!

[@MarshallBananar]

This made me crave for apples. Real ones I mean

[@kerioshin]

Coming soon the Groke, Grountain Dew, Grite, Granta and Grepsi

[@JonnyWaldes]

So you mean to tell me it is an apple mixed with natural and artificial grape flavors? Aka what the label says?

[@chanceDdog2009]

Engine coolant has a naturally sweet flavor. We should spray it on apples and feed them to kids....

[@MCDreng]

​@@chanceDdog2009but this is literally the same chemical that is already used as grape flavor... the anti-intellectualism in this comment section is ridiculous. so many people making it "chemical scary and bad"

[@shayestewart5981]

23:51 she just doesn't like grape flavor i know people like that but I love it

[@kevinyouyube]

Chocolate contains cacao, a natural dog repellent.

[@yonyhusk]

Red delicious apples are disgusting 🍎 fight meh.

[@loyalsausages]

Even though the Grapple-eers were cagey as sh*t, Adam still gives them an open-minded review, acknowledging pros and cons both. Kudos to you, Adam.

[@Conversus]

In the middle of this show I had to go to the supermarket and buy some apples. Kind Regards from Berlin.

[@AM222802]

The small part of the piece where it focused on Fiel Orchards was so interesting, I googled and of course there is no information available about this place. Vice....I need to know more!! 200 varieties of apples, in business since 1908....WOW. I wanna see a piece about Fiel Orchards on Vice somewhere.......

[@Sniperboy5551]

Jack Feil (the nice old guy) died in 2021 at the age of 93. He seems like a real salt of the earth kind of guy, a dying breed.

[@basedViking]

Nothing Beats a granny smith apple

[@GrandmasterDinnerRoll]

I've had grapples before, and I have to say that it's hit or miss. Sometimes it's good, other times it's just flat out nasty...

[@15fabregas4]

full respect to the journalist.

[@joebazooks]

i live about 10 minutes away from downtown in a suburban-ish area, and there's at least one fast food joint on basically every block. it's crazy, if you think about. what it reflects about our society at large: that we have businesses selling extremely nutrient-deficient food on every single block, at every single plaza, in every mall, so on and so forth...........

[@MuffledZach]

this is great, keep up the good reporting vice network

[@GabeIsko]

I have eaten these. It tastes like an apple and smells like grape soda.

[@danielnunez1587]

So an apple i spilled grape soda on

[@TotalyFree2BMe]

This guy's the Hamilton of fruit :D

[@smokinghobbit1987]

Over here we got these little plants called pineberry's, found in most flower/gardenstores. Which are strawberries which taste like pinapple. Don't know why though cause pineapple is horrible :D

[@mhikeybalatbat]

maybe it's the idea that the consumer is always right that needs to change or devolve. i mean why should fruit producers need to change with the market? why are the expectations of what fruits should be like changing? apples are apples, that roadside fruit vendor is growing 200 varieties.. is there not an consumer appealing type of apple in there before the need for grape flavored apples? everything is becoming overly complicated for no reason.

[@QT3.14-w2p]

Mmmmmm, bird repellant, my favorite

[@ToastAndCereal9921]

Why does the public deserve to know? You grow food, market it, and sell it.

[@themellowjew4126]

Grapeapplesauce

[@Metallicjoe]

I don't know the solutions to the problems the american apple industry is facing today, but what I do know is that the old man in this video is awesome ^^

[@IBUILTTHAT]

If someone patents something, they have to properly describe the best way to perform what is patented. If they don't or in any way attempt to provide misleading information, the patent can be nullified.

[@Blessup13]

Right. I made it to 4:44 before I had to stop! Those fake crunch sounds ended it.

[@mechadonia]

I’m about to go apple mode

[@ultraprincesskenny6790]

Well it seems bird stop is just bird shield with a new name

[@ellenbulger3807]

Fruit as junk food. From the ocean-killing plastic wrap, to the industrialized agriculture, to the corporate marketing, ugh, ugh, ugh. And as for Washington as the apple capital, it depends how you define it. When I lived out west, fall wasn't properly fall because the apples were all west coast apples and they tasted like NOTHING. Give me a northeastern apple from Connecticut or New York any day and make it an heirloom variety. If I want grape taste, we got grapes for that.

[@132lynn]

11:29 best nose

[@KelseyHrubes]

Very well done!

[@dothedeed]

I thought it was like those grapes that are bred to taste like cotton candy. Hearing that they just take a normal apple and soak it in artificial flavour is just...disappointing.

[@taromadden2514]

The Center for Science in the Public Interest have a pretty bad track record apropos pushing for new food related policies. One of the three dangerous GRAS food stuffs, partially hydrogenated oil, was forced onto the fast food industry by CSPI, who were using tenuous and scarce evidence to promote the idea that it was healthier than lard, which was originally used by both large corporate chains such as McDonald's, and the average roadside diner. When it turned out that partially hydrogenated oil was, in fact, far worse than lard, CSPI wasted no time in lobbying to have fast food restaurants switch to something else (not even sure what they use now). But, the key point would be that CSPI had been repeatedly informed from various reputable scientific sources that the initial judgement of the healthiness of partially hydrogenated oil was incorrect, or at least highly suspect, with no basis in properly researched science. Essentially, CSPI make their money through fear mongering, capitalizing on a combination of paranoia and lawyers. Is that to say that there are no unhealthy and even potentially dangerous practices in the food industry? No, certainly not. But, we should keep in sight the facts of the matter, and not allow reactionary institutions like CSPI make things worse in their hasty ignorance.

[@DustinRodriguez1_0]

OK, give me the super crisp WA-38 apple. I hate mushy, soft apples. I want my apples as hard as a rock and to crunch like madness. Also, I think the line about "preserving the repellant effect for consumer enjoyment" is actually WAY funnier than they make it out to be in the video. It sounds to ME that Grapples boast as one of their features that benefit consumers that Grapples themselves will repel birds. Because consumers hate eating an apple and getting attacked by birds at the same time!

[@MiinaVsWorld]

13:05 , his eyes look shady asf...not to mention those animated purple fumes in the background.

[@vabbs]

Ate this and its so oddly good.

[@MoriahWMusic]

This was incredibly interesting.

[@BeautifullyBroken88]

If other ppl are using it why aren't all the other fruits don't taste like grapes?

[@betomata4]

wow ... that was eye opening

[@viktorgruber6928]

that was dull.

[@zaipxz6273]

the crunch sound sounds like rock...

[@papasweed.dispenseria5977]

2:50 the old guy knows his shit

[@12345lolacat]

Total waste of my time. I hate documentaries that end with a shrug of the shoulders with no answer or conclusion.

[@BlGGESTBROTHER]

It's so hard to have to think and come to a conclusion for yourself. Boooohoooo.

[@fajarsetiawan8665]

It's because your brain is so underdeveloped you're even too exhausted to think.

[@littlewing62]

apple bacon. that'll make a really interesting pancake

[@Jambunctious]

Those old guys cracked me up.

[@DharaStover]

The grapples get squishy if you don't eat them in about two days.

[@One.natation]

stick to the all natural apple please don't change any thing

[@BeautifullyBroken88]

I don't understand just have some grapes smh

[@bruhplays678]

well it dose

[@munchout6266]

Awesome video

[@teddybb1017]

Where are the wax part？？

[@Shad0wXPlaayz112]

how do u get these in uk

[@neoyorke]

Excellent video...and scary.

[@wdwrxco]

The Grapple; yet another food-like product brought to you by yet another massive corporation.

[@mariojuana]

Wenatchee been there

[@TheBeastboner]

What's the best tasting apple in the world ?

[@IfonlyIwassmaller]

Grape-le? I thought it was pronounced grap-le. “Grah-puhl” vs “grape-uhl”

[@cryptcr3ature81]

When even the apple scientist won't touch it, you know it's crap.

[@ApexBaker420]

Hate red delicious apples. Also fuck that awful crunching sound; like nails on a chalk board!

[@andrewsnyder1280]

Grapples are awesome

[@arghoknot]

Basically kool aid that is absorbed through the stem of the apple. Oh and yes, red delicious are a horrible old school apple.

[@armedanddangerous7588]

The government shouldn't be involved in our food just like it shouldn't be involved with guns. Let people make their own choices and take personal responsibility.

[@IIG]

I recently bought a 4 pack of Grapples out of curiosity. They were terrible. A soft, stringy, wilted apple that lacks the natural juiciness of the fruit, and has a light artificial grape flavor. I was going to avoid these at all costs anyway, but after watching this report, I'm warning everyone against it. A fruit company should have no reason to be shady.

[@Shaggy2286]

IIG You sound like you got one that was really old. I just ate one and it was crisp and juicy. I don't even know how an apple becomes stringy? That sounds kid of gross. Srsly, look at them before you buy them. They got wrinkles (wilted) and are not shiny, then they are old. ( fyi you didn't miss much, you get the grape-ish flavor in the first bite, but then it just tastes like a fuji apple )

[@swaz5776]

I want a apple now ._.

[@DrPeculiar312]

Apple Extended Universe

[@popomomo12]

Lol these were in Safeway stores in 2008.....

[@almfc1]

Just eat apples is the message

[@TheSuperSoakeRRR]

random but enjoyable. nice 1

[@musingsofajay387]

Am I the only one who hates red delicious apples?

[@varghj]

host = stephen merchant

[@michibear04]

omg the journalist is so cute

[@liznickel]

Peppermint extract repels mice....

[@MikeZ32TT]

Interesting. Thanks

[@DevintheHIGHRISH]

I am from wenatchee vally it sucks here and the grapple taste like shit

[@epicsilas]

I am from Seattle and Wenatchee does suck but I haven't tried the grapple.

[@echjordan]

Homeboy looks like Austin Powers

[@williamb4920]

I really liked this

[@emalinel]

I, for one, really really really detest the taste of artificial grape flavor. Like the sommelier from The Herbfarm said, it tastes like cough syrup or that toothpaste your parents made you use. Urgh. On the other hand, I think this is one of the few documentaries that was mildly interesting from Munchies/Vice :)

[@eh1911]

How about cotton candy grapes yum

[@mayandecendent31]

I love this fruit I'd eat them all the time if it wasnt more expensive even here in seattle i get em kinda expensive but i might go to wenatche next time and get a load of them

[@mickym.6711]

Just get u some Fuji apples and a gallon of bird shield.