MADISON, Wis. — An Elroy, Wisconsin, woman has sued the maker of Bagel Bites Pizza Snacks, alleging that deceptive packaging misleads consumers about the product’s use of “real” mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.
True story. I have a buddy owner/operator. Picks up a container at the Newark NJ Port. Takes it to a cheese plant in Wisconsin. Drops it and picks up a loaded one, which goes back to the Newark port and goes on another ship to who knows where. All that to say the cheese comes into port from another country’s port,goes and gets re-packaged with Wisconsin labels, then shipped who knows where. Most food other the most bread stuff comes into this country re-packaged from somewhere else. Pretty fucked up. And a decade or so they changed the laws on packages. The food industry greased DC politicians for that. CIII
So Kraft-Heinz is being sued for deceptive marketing... Ain't that SoS John Kerry's outfit? Why am I not surprised that something that jackass is associated with is deceitful and duplicitous? Is anybody surprised by this rather modest revelation about corporate America?
Kraft Heinz is skating close to the wind, at best. More likely, this went up the chain and legal told marketing that it was a close call but they might get away with it so on their heads be it.
Standards of identity are just that. Legal, binding definitions. Argue all you want for changes, but until codified you're stuck with the current rules.
Kraft has been in the food business a looooong time. They know damn well what mozzarella is and is not. This is a toe over the line. And frankly they know that FDA and Ag don't have the resources to check every product. What keeps manufacturers in line is the risk, small but real, that an annoyed -and, yes, gadfly- consumer will decide to sue.
Or maybe a competitor. Unilever (Hellman's mayo) vs the fake vegan mayo. Same issue- there's a standard of identity. You don't like being "imitation", change the standard. The standard codifies the usual and customary understanding of a term.
People forget that back in the pre-standards era one found vinegar made with sulfuric acid. A host of other foods were commonly adulterated. Some producers cheat for profit. The various FDA acts (1906 and the many later ones) are a response to known misdeeds.
Almost 50 years ago, when I was in college (dang), there was a large factory in Vacaville, CA making fake mozzarella cheese for the pizza industry. It may not still be open but that market hasn't disappeared.
Really. Some people need to get a life. There's something very cheesy about this story.
ReplyDeleteTrue story. I have a buddy owner/operator. Picks up a container at the Newark NJ Port. Takes it to a cheese plant in Wisconsin. Drops it and picks up a loaded one, which goes back to the Newark port and goes on another ship to who knows where. All that to say the cheese comes into port from another country’s port,goes and gets re-packaged with Wisconsin labels, then shipped who knows where.
ReplyDeleteMost food other the most bread stuff comes into this country re-packaged from somewhere else. Pretty fucked up. And a decade or so they changed the laws on packages. The food industry greased DC politicians for that.
CIII
So Kraft-Heinz is being sued for deceptive marketing...
ReplyDeleteAin't that SoS John Kerry's outfit? Why am I not surprised that something that jackass is associated with is deceitful and duplicitous? Is anybody surprised by this rather modest revelation about corporate America?
Kraft Heinz is skating close to the wind, at best. More likely, this went up the chain and legal told marketing that it was a close call but they might get away with it so on their heads be it.
ReplyDeleteStandards of identity are just that. Legal, binding definitions. Argue all you want for changes, but until codified you're stuck with the current rules.
Kraft has been in the food business a looooong time. They know damn well what mozzarella is and is not. This is a toe over the line. And frankly they know that FDA and Ag don't have the resources to check every product. What keeps manufacturers in line is the risk, small but real, that an annoyed -and, yes, gadfly- consumer will decide to sue.
Or maybe a competitor. Unilever (Hellman's mayo) vs the fake vegan mayo. Same issue- there's a standard of identity. You don't like being "imitation", change the standard. The standard codifies the usual and customary understanding of a term.
People forget that back in the pre-standards era one found vinegar made with sulfuric acid. A host of other foods were commonly adulterated. Some producers cheat for profit. The various FDA acts (1906 and the many later ones) are a response to known misdeeds.
The gadflys serve a purpose.
And once upon a time, not so long ago, words had meanings.
DeleteAlmost 50 years ago, when I was in college (dang), there was a large factory in Vacaville, CA making fake mozzarella cheese for the pizza industry. It may not still be open but that market hasn't disappeared.
ReplyDelete