absurd marketing bullshittery

[free_electron]

I was munching on a bag of chips. Ingredients : Potato , safflower oil , salt.
In big bold lettering on the front of the package : Gluten free
Of course it's gluten free. it doesn't contain any wheat or other grains that contain glutenin.

 

They might as well put things like "Does not contain elephants" or "Comes without steering wheel"

what's next ?
A bag of salad that says "Vegan friendly" ?
A bag of rice that says "No cows inside" ?

post your marketing bullshittery gripes below. i'm curious to see what other bullshittery is out there.

[eti]

I was munching on a bag of chips. Ingredients : Potato , safflower oil , salt.
In big bold lettering on the front of the package : Gluten free
Of course it's gluten free. it doesn't contain any wheat or other grains that contain glutenin.

 

They might as well put things like "Does not contain elephants" or "Comes without steering wheel"

what's next ?
A bag of salad that says "Vegan friendly" ?
A bag of rice that says "No cows inside" ?

post your marketing bullshittery gripes below. i'm curious to see what other bullshittery is out there.

A few of my food marketeer's captain obv faves, are:

Peanuts: "May contain nuts" and variants thereof for other obvious contents of food packets.


Also, "Wackaging", where every company VASTLY over-compensates for mediocre product, by making their foods "talk" to us, as if we're "friends" with a strawberry milkshake! LOL ---> https://www.ediblegeography.com/the-rise-of-wackaging/


Hey companies, here's an idea - focus on the BASICS and cut the crap - tell us what's inside, and don't "make it talk". Maybe add just a little more than the utilitarian, spartan nature of military rations, but not far off that, just a simple photo, no stupid fancy background wallpapers, WE KNOW WHAT FOOD LOOKS LIKE! Here's an example from my youth - a good example, bare essentials (because customers didn't used to be dimwit schmucks, QUITE as much [cause and effect?]):



Back in the old days, when people actually USED their brains, they weren't treated like morons to talk down to... well, not AS much.

[wraper]

FWIW if we talk about chips then garbage made from potato flakes may contain plenty of gluten. Layman may not know the difference between real chips and junk like Pringles which often contain more of other components than potato. Not to say even in real chips whatever additive was used may contain grain products. With processed foods made these days it's not as straightforward as it may seem. On other hand things like "cholesterol free" vegetable oils are really lame.

[Zero999]

FWIW if we talk about chips then garbage made from potato flakes may contain plenty of gluten. Layman may not know the difference between real chips and junk like Pringles which often contain more of other components than potato. Not to say even in real chips whatever additive was used may contain grain products. With processed foods made these days it's not as straightforward as it may seem. On other hand things like "cholesterol free" vegetable oils are really lame.

Having clear food labeling laws helps.

In the UK, chips are what some other English speaking countries call fries, although they're much thicker, thus have a lower fat content.

Crisps are a snack food, consisting of thinly sliced potato, fried in oil, salted and flavoured, nothing else. No one here refers to Pingles, Skips, Doritos etc. as crisps. They are completely different.

Also it you want nice ice cream, go for dairy ice cream, which has to contain real milk and a certain amount of cream, otherwise you get sugar, reconstituted skimmed milk, palm or coconut oil, thickeners and colourings.

[wraper]

Having clear food labeling laws helps.

However if you are gluten intolerant, you'd prefer a clear statement that it's gluten free, rather that reading a long list of contents and miss something that may be grain derived. It's completely different from "Vegan" and sorts of which are not related to health risks.

[Zero999]

Having clear food labeling laws helps.

However if you are gluten intolerant, you'd prefer a clear statement that it's gluten free, rather that reading a long list of contents and miss something that may be grain derived. It's completely different from "Vegan" and sorts of which are not related to health risks.

If you stick with plain, ready salted crisps, you'll be fine. If a trace is an issue, due to cross contamination, then you have an allergy, not an intolerance.

[wraper]

Having clear food labeling laws helps.

However if you are gluten intolerant, you'd prefer a clear statement that it's gluten free, rather that reading a long list of contents and miss something that may be grain derived. It's completely different from "Vegan" and sorts of which are not related to health risks.

If you stick with plain, ready salted crisps, you'll be fine. If a trace is an issue, due to cross contamination, then you have an allergy, not an intolerance.

So do you want people who have health problems to stick to plain foods only?  People with severe gluten intolerance may die if accidentally ingest it. So clear statement really helps.

[Zero999]

Having clear food labeling laws helps.

However if you are gluten intolerant, you'd prefer a clear statement that it's gluten free, rather that reading a long list of contents and miss something that may be grain derived. It's completely different from "Vegan" and sorts of which are not related to health risks.

If you stick with plain, ready salted crisps, you'll be fine. If a trace is an issue, due to cross contamination, then you have an allergy, not an intolerance.

So do you want people who have health problems to stick to plain foods only?  People with severe gluten intolerance may die if accidentally ingest it. So clear statement really helps.

You seem to have confused having an intolerance, with an allergy. They are different things.

If a you die as a result of ingesting a food, then you have an allergy, not an intolerance. An intolerance just means the body has a hard time digesting it, so small traces don't do any harm. An allergy is an immune reaction, which can cause death, if severe. People who have severe allergies need to be vary careful. Few manufacturers guarantee their foods are absolutely free from allergens, as cross-contamination can occur in the factory, or at any point in the ingredients' supply chain.

[eti]

And now we’re having an argument about lactose labelling. Wow. Only on EEVblog 😂😂

[wraper]

If a you die as a result of ingesting a food, then you have an allergy, not an intolerance. An intolerance just means the body has a hard time digesting it, so small traces don't do any harm. An allergy is an immune reaction, which can cause death, if severe. People who have severe allergies need to be vary careful. Few manufacturers guarantee their foods are absolutely free from allergens, as cross-contamination can occur in the factory, or at any point in the ingredients' supply chain.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/signs-you-are-gluten-intolerant

[Zero999]

If a you die as a result of ingesting a food, then you have an allergy, not an intolerance. An intolerance just means the body has a hard time digesting it, so small traces don't do any harm. An allergy is an immune reaction, which can cause death, if severe. People who have severe allergies need to be vary careful. Few manufacturers guarantee their foods are absolutely free from allergens, as cross-contamination can occur in the factory, or at any point in the ingredients' supply chain.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/signs-you-are-gluten-intolerant

I'm not sure what your point is.

Intolerance and allergy are different phenomena.

https://erudus.com/editorial/the-food-agenda/difference-allergy-intolerance
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/expert-answers/food-allergy/faq-20058538
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/allergy-intolerance.html

[PlainName]

Peanuts: "May contain nuts" and variants thereof for other obvious contents of food packets.

Technically, peanuts are legumes. Thus someone quite pedantic (perhaps using the letters I T E in a pseudonym) may argue that they are not nuts.

[Zero999]

Peanuts: "May contain nuts" and variants thereof for other obvious contents of food packets.

Technically, peanuts are legumes. Thus someone quite pedantic (perhaps using the letters I T E in a pseudonym) may argue that they are not nuts.

Many foods we call nuts are not really nuts. Almonds are another example and are related to peaches.

[PlainName]

Indeed. Although there is a peanut allergy the warning is no doubt about possible contamination from other foods processed in the same facility which would be actual nuts.

[JPortici]

My dog's food has "not been tested on animals" sticker 

[Zero999]

Indeed. Although there is a peanut allergy the warning is no doubt about possible contamination from other foods processed in the same facility which would be actual nuts.

It's arse covering. There's always the tiniest risk of contamination so they have tell people, so they don't get sued.

[tszaboo]

It's also BPA free. I don't know what BPA is but its some sort of plastic, and it is somehow bad for you.
And probably contains materials that are known to the state of California to cause cancer.

[TimFox]

One can easily find information about BPA:  see  https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/sya-bpa/index.cfm
You can pursue the references in that site to see if you consider BPA to be a good thing to ingest.
It is an example of a chemical that can easily "leach" from plastic containers and get into the contents, and then into your body.

[Peter Taylor]

Potato Chips. Warning. May Be Contained In A Bag.

[HighVoltage]

How about Gluten Free WiFi

[free_electron]

Potato Chips. Warning. May Be Contained In A Bag.

warning bag volume is not representative of actual content volume.  most of it is air...

[free_electron]

Before the mods kill this as non technical :

just found this one .... 

from the MG chemicals catalogue none the less....
i guess its to guarantee no static in your receiver.

[CJay]

Of course it's gluten free. it doesn't contain any wheat or other grains that contain glutenin.

 

They might as well put things like "Does not contain elephants" or "Comes without steering wheel"

what's next ?
A bag of salad that says "Vegan friendly" ?
A bag of rice that says "No cows inside" ?

post your marketing bullshittery gripes below. i'm curious to see what other bullshittery is out there.

It's not bullshittery, a coeliac friend really opened my eyes to foods that *shouldn't* contain gluten but often do without listing on the ingredients (grated cheese for instance)

Having 'Gluten Free' on a packet is a written guarantee it is indeed gluten free so a coeliac can grab a snack without having to pore over the ingredients list or worry that there's somehting that's not listed or the product has been contaminated by another process in the same factory.

[free_electron]

It's not bullshittery, a coeliac friend really opened my eyes to foods that *shouldn't* contain gluten but often do without listing on the ingredients (grated cheese for instance)

ingredients : potato , safflower oil, salt . Tell me , what parts contain gluten ?

A lot of this stuff is hype. look our product is this and that. Many people latch on to the buzzword du jour...

This bag of lettuce is lactose free , gluten free , vegan / vegetarian / ovo-pescatarian and omnivore approved. Not for fruitarians.

[TimFox]

An amusing political commentator, about a year ago, said his political adversaries drank "plant-based beer".
https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-host-rages-against-plant-based-beer-2021-4