Marketing by confusion

I love food recalls. They are rare glimpses into the supply chain, a break in the fog of branding. Take, for example, this recent headline:

The affected products are 500gm packs of Mainland Salted Butter, with a best before date of 10 January 2013, and 500gm packs of Anchor Salted butter, with a best before date of 26 January 2013.

The difference between Mainland and Anchor butter is as real as the Anchor Family from the 1980's. That is, not at all. Although they seem to have differing definitions of freshness.

Cheesecake and a trim latte

If you want to learn irony, become a waiter. My personal favourite was the archetypal Barbie who would order some rich dessert, say creme brulee or cheesecake, then order a trim latte to finish. In cafes, you'll see them requesting chocolate gateau with yogurt not clotted cream, which is a much more appropriate accompaniment. Indulge or don't but save me the empty gestures to one's health. You're not fooling anyone but yourselves.

Since the late 80's, this feminine self-delusion has been a boon for dairy marketing people though. Skim milk was dolled up with the more flattering Trim moniker. One thing lead to another and before you could say Diana's dead, the chicks are going for new improved this milk and added Vitamin K that milk.

Finally, science has caught up with common sense and says all that added goodness is a load of vacuous upselling nonsense:

Ignore all the fancy labels, there are only three kinds of milk you need to worry about, namely full-cream, low-fat and skim. The rest, boasting added calcium, vitamin D, A2 proteins, or omega-3 fatty acids, are unlikely to make any difference to your health, consumer group Choice has found.

If only there was a way to put folate in the paper of Women's magazines...