Prune burgers pass, broccoli guacamole fails in taste tests

WASHINGTON

Hey, kids! Want a prune burger for lunch? Or how about sweet potato pancakes for breakfast?

The government is trying out new products on finicky fifth- and sixth-grade taste testers in an effort to find new ways to use surplus fruits and vegetables in school lunch and breakfast menus.

The burgers, a mixture of ground beef and 4 percent prune puree, and the pancakes passed muster Tuesday with 20 inner-city kids at Washington's Van Ness Elementary School. A raisin-tomato barbecue dip for chicken nuggets also was a hit.

"The hamburger was good. It tastes like a grilled burger," said Mustafa Mattocks, 12, adding that it was better than the usual school fare.

It's also more healthful. A prune burger, which also contains soy, has about 40 percent less fat than an all-beef patty. The prune mixture adds moisture to replace the lost fat. The prune burgers served Tuesday were flame-broiled by the processor to give them the grilled flavor.

James Brown, 11, liked the barbecue sauce. "It tasted like A-1."

The Agriculture Department is under pressure from Congress to bolster produce prices by buying up surplus crops, including cranberries and prunes, and giving them to schools.

In a similar test last year in the Los Angeles area, the sweet potato pancakes were very popular, as were snack bars made with dates and almonds. Broccoli guacamole was a dud, and so was an asparagus version. The prune burgers and pizza topped with a prune-based sauce got better reviews.