Product review: Funky Monkey Fruit Snacks

Just in today: a cache of four packets of Funky Monkey Snacks, billed as The Fruit That Crunches.

Flavors tasted: bananamon, Carnaval Mix, Jivealime, and Purple Funk. Testing group: six adults, one 12-year-old middle school student.

The split: Adults were split 3 for and 3 not-so-for.

On the 'pro' side: crunchy, no sugar added, makes some softer-textured fruit more palatable for folks who have texture issues.

On the 'con' side: odd smell upon opening the packet, bit of an aftertaste. Texture was odd, due to the freeze-drying.

The tie vote went to the target demographic: the 12-year-old. He liked it and munched away on Carnaval Mix. His vote trumps the grownups.

The skinny: These are 100 percent natural, no sugar or fat added. Because they're freeze dried, they retain all of the original fruit's nutrients, some of which can be lost or damaged in traditional drying. No colors or preservatives are added either. They are gluten free, dairy free, wheat-free and certified Kosher.

The packets have a good bit of snack in them, and this would be handier to have in the van than, say, a whole bunch of tropical fruit. Retail prices is around $2 per pack. Available online or at Whole Foods in Mountain Brook.