Cincinnati The Kroger Co. is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Simple Truth, a store brand the Cincinnati-based grocer values at more than $3 billion.

Organic Strawberries, Organic Cherries, Organic Raspberries, Organic Red Currants, Organic Cane Sugar, Water, Pectin, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid.

Kroger announced the Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic labels in late 2012, in response to rising customer demand for organic and natural foods and products made without ingredients of concern to consumers.

Simple Truth Organic® provides easy-to-read ingredient statements, and Simple Truth Organic products are USDA organic certified. You'll find Simple Truth Organic in the produce section, of course - but also look for Simple Truth Organic in dairy, meat, snacks and many other aisles in the Kroger Co. Family of Stores.

Simple Truth certified organic selections are produced by organic growers and handlers certified by agencies and organizations accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are free from synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering, the company said.

According to Kroger, the most popular Simple Truth products are:

• Organic Apple Juice.
• Organic Creamy Peanut Butter.
• Organic Whole White Mushrooms.
• Natural Cage Free Large Brown Eggs.
• Organic Mixed Vegetables.
• Exotic Vegetable Chips.
• Organic 100% Whole Wheat Penne Rigate.
• Organic Baby Spring Mix.

Fruit butters are rich fruit spreads made by cooking puréed fruit pulp with sugar until the mixture thickens. Fruit butters have a rich, almost roasted flavor and dense texture; they are often made with apples and pears, which are naturally high in pectin.

At Simple Truth®, our natural and organic foods are free from artificial preservatives, free from GMOs and free from things you can't pronounce. Our foods are sourced responsibly and free from high prices, too. That's why at Simple Truth®, we're proud of our foods and we're proud of what's not in them.

1,500 Simple Truth items There are currently more than 1,500 Simple Truth items, including food, household, and beauty products, which Kroger said are free from unwanted ingredients, including more than 101 artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and sweeteners.

Simple Truth products may not have artificial preservatives, artificial colors, synthetic preservatives, artificial ingredients, or artificial additives, but they did find lead, which trumps all of that.

Did you know that fruit spread can be a great addition to your culinary arsenal in the kitchen and is actually a huge time saver?! It adds the perfect amount of flavor without tons of added sugar. Sauces, dips, marinades, and even savory dishes, the options are truly endless!

Some popular varieties:

• Jelly is a clear, intensely sweet fruit spread made by cooking fruit juice with pectin, a jelling agent.
• Jam is made by cooking fruit, sugar, and sometimes lemon juice into a thick mixture.
• Fruit spread is like jam, but it's sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar.

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At Simple Truth®, our natural and organic foods are free from artificial preservatives, free from GMOs and free from things you can't pronounce. Our foods are sourced responsibly and free from high prices, too. That's why at Simple Truth®, we're proud of our foods and we're proud of what's not in them.