Meghan Markle's brand lands into hot waters after dubbed as 'disappointment'

Meghan Markle's latest venture, As Ever, has been met with criticism from a champion jam maker who claims the products are a "real disappointment." 

Despite selling out within hours, Donna Collins, a renowned jam expert, expressed her concerns about the quality of the apricot fruit spread.

Collins, who owns Jelly Queens jam company and has won over 40 world championship honors, believes that labeling the product as a "spread" rather than jam indicates a fundamental flaw in the production process. 

"It's a real disappointment that Meghan is selling a fruit spread, which is what you make when your jam fails," Collins stated. "In the jam industry, a spread is what we call something that didn't work."

Collins also expressed concern about the inclusion of pectin, a gelling agent, in the apricot spread. 

"It can have the best ingredients, but if I had a jam that was too runny, I'd slap a label on it and call it a spread... And why is she using pectin, which is a gelling agent, unless it's because her spread was too runny? Most spreads don't use pectin."

Collins was unequivocal in her assessment of the As Ever products, declaring, "There's no excuse for this. It should be perfect. I don't know who's making her spread, but we all know it's not Meghan. It sounds like they really don't know what they are doing."

However, not everyone shares Collins' opinion. Maureen Foley, owner of Red Hen Cannery, suggested that the As Ever products are exactly as intended. "She may be smart trying to fill a niche... Spreads can be sweet or savory, and used on dishes for all meals, so perhaps it's just clever marketing."

The release of As Ever products has caused a stir online, with many criticizing the hefty prices and limited availability.