Food Marketing Peeve No. 31: Squeezable Bottles and "Brand New Package Design"

D

Damaged Goods

Member
Location
Maryland
While you can still get small, expensive jars of specialty mustard like Poupon, horseradish, and beer mustard with wide mouths for knife access, try to get plain yellow mustard in anything but squeezable bottles with tiny mouths. Over here it started with store brands and then French's caved. So much waste.
I guess mayo will be next.

And then there is "Brand new package design; same great taste; same low price." What they don't tell you is that net wgt. is less. Favorite brand of hard pretzels from 16 to 14.5 oz., broccoli from 56 to 52 oz., and two or three other items recently. I mean, who cares if the new pkg. is more attractive?
 

Last edited:
It's maddening for sure.

I have gotten to the point where I just shrug my shoulders and throw my arms up in air.

If consumers only knew how much clout we wield, yet instead of banning together and shutting down manufacturers who spend more time manipulating their products and packing, so as to offer less for more, we consumers keep on taking the hit and entertaining the likes of being blatantly ripped-off.
 

Damaged Goods said:
While you can still get small, expensive jars of specialty mustard like Poupon, horseradish, and beer mustard with wide mouths for knife access, try to get plain yellow mustard in anything but squeezable bottles with tiny mouths. Over here it started with store brands and then French's caved. So much waste.
I guess mayo will be next.

And then there is "Brand new package design; same great taste; same low price." What they don't tell you is that net wgt. is less. Favorite brand of hard pretzels from 16 to 14.5 oz., broccoli from 56 to 52 oz., and two or three other items recently. I mean, who cares if the new pkg. is more attractive?
Click to expand...
I just noticed this week that they sell Sour Cream now in a squeezable, bag-type package....I didn't like the idea but I guess some other people might. Maybe it stays fresher longer? Way too many things are coming in smaller sizes and cost the same or more as the original amount, orange juice is one of them.
 
The Gulden's mustard squeeze bottle annoys me because it leaves so much mustard in the jar.

If they have to go with a squeeze container I would prefer it to be similar to a toothpaste tube so I could squeeze out every last drop or forget the jars altogether and go straight to an inexpensive assortment of single-serve packets for home use.

973f5ac3-26d4-47eb-98d0-7627d6220212_1.f591588e0758c8a71cde77415d8b157b.jpeg
 
Here's my take on incorporating a reusability system.

Like buying milk from farms in glass bottles, why can't the same hold true for other things such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, etc? Well it could, but because it would take effort on the part of consumers (washing out glass bottles/containers, transporting them back to the stores, etc), sales would more likely take a marginal hit, because we all know how convenience works.

Drop into your favourite store, pick up what you need, and away you go, in and out in a few minutes, and with in and out customers/consumers, they go for packaged foods and goods.

It really chaps my behind when environmental moves to improve upon waste, etc, always seems to come at the expense of consumers. We all know the exponential problem of the growing plastic waste concern in our world today, and it just stands to reason that instead of settling for plastic stored good found at stores, we would be moving instead to a more old-fashioned and environmental friendly alternative.

I would love nothing more than to fill my own glass bottles and containers with all food related items (glass bottles and containers would result from the initial purchase of such products requiring glass), and then every week, every month, or however long it would take to use up what I had, I would return to the store with clean bottles and containers, refill them, and away I'd go.

Bottom line... no where near enough is being done or implemented to help reduce waste and clean the world up, and because very little is being done, I suspect consumers have lost their will to put any sort of effort into, or towards the cause.
 
Aunt Marg said:
It's maddening for sure.

I have gotten to the point where I just shrug my shoulders and throw my arms up in air.

If consumers only knew how much clout we wield, yet instead of banning together and shutting down manufacturers who spend more time manipulating their products and packing, so as to offer less for more, we consumers keep on taking the hit and entertaining the likes of being blatantly ripped-off.
Click to expand...
If we did that what would be left?
 
Aunt Marg said:
It's maddening for sure.

I have gotten to the point where I just shrug my shoulders and throw my arms up in air.

If consumers only knew how much clout we wield, yet instead of banning together and shutting down manufacturers who spend more time manipulating their products and packing, so as to offer less for more, we consumers keep on taking the hit and entertaining the likes of being blatantly ripped-off.
Click to expand...
If we did that what would be left? They're all in it to make money and rip us off. They think we're too stupid to notice. But getting them shut down will only leave us with nothing to buy.
 
MarciKS said:
If we did that what would be left? They're all in it to make money and rip us off. They think we're too stupid to notice. But getting them shut down will only leave us with nothing to buy.
Click to expand...
Not really, because it would force big name food manufacturers and packaging plants to change their ways, and as for the ones not willing to conform to a consumer co-operative, lights out for them.
 
Squeeze the French’s mustard and a watery blob comes out first. Same with Ketchup bottles. Shaking too hard first can leave a worse explosion. I now buy small bottles of mustard and rarely use ketchup.

This year Pot of Gold has the same size box with fewer chocolates. Especially the ones I like.
 
The fact that so many companies are closing down because of the pandemic has shown just how much power the shopper has. Boycott as many plastic containers as possible and the manufacturers will get the message.
I eat a lot of honey but only buy the stuff in glass jars. I can scrape out every last morsel, whereas with squeezy bottles there is always some left at the bottom.
 
Here in Canada they have taken to putting ground beef in plastic wrapped tubes which do not allow you to see the meat.

Or you get meat in a styrofoam tray with some kind of plastic coated something or other for the meat to rest on and then the whole thing is wrapped again in plastic.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I just noticed this week that they sell Sour Cream now in a squeezable, bag-type package....I didn't like the idea but I guess some other people might. Maybe it stays fresher longer? Way too many things are coming in smaller sizes and cost the same or more as the original amount, orange juice is one of them.
Click to expand...
That's right, SeaBreeze, and along with more, and more, and more things being packaged and coming in smaller bottles/containers... more waste.

I loathe waste on every level.
 
Lee said:
Here in Canada they have taken to putting ground beef in plastic wrapped tubes which do not allow you to see the meat.

Or you get meat in a styrofoam tray with some kind of plastic coated something or other for the meat to rest on and then the whole thing is wrapped again in plastic.
Click to expand...
Those plastic tubes are one of my big beefs (pardon the pun). :)

The only thing I buy in those plastic tubes is ground veal, which comes in a much smaller version, and how about vacuumed (gas) packaged cuts like roasts and things, Lee?

I refuse to buy it. I visit a store that still employs actual butchers, and if the store shelf doesn't have what I'm looking for, I have it cut.
 
Pappy said:
And, how many times can something be “new and improved” like Tide. Or, now with bleach.
If you notice on some containers, the bottom is pushed up. Same size, but need less to fill it.
Click to expand...
Well said, Paps!

Many years ago my mantra was... "enough with all of the packaging", yet nothing has changed and everything has remained the same.
 
Aunt Marg said:
When I see pictures like that it really makes one realize just how good we have it.
Click to expand...
Been in third world areas
It's a real eye opener
Come back to the states and see stores, stores lined with choices, choices of the same things

Evidently I'm over that now, and quite picky

Did a skit on food once

Telling starving country folk about our meals;

'No, that's the appetizer, the food before we eat the food'

'No, no, that's the dessert......the food we have after the food'
 
Gary O' said:
Been in third world areas
It's a real eye opener
Come back to the states and see stores, stores lined with choices, choices of the same things

Evidently I'm over that now, and quite picky

Did a skit on food once

Telling starving country folk about our meals;

'No, that's the appetizer, the food before we eat the food'

'No, no, that's the dessert......the food we have after the food'
Click to expand...
You said it!

Bless the workers who help those who are less fortunate, because as much love as I have inside, I wouldn't be able to hold it together.
 
Aunt Marg said:
Bless the workers who help those who are less fortunate, because as much love as I have inside, I wouldn't be able to hold it together.
Click to expand...
I do believe they experience tremendous blessings every day
.....and an insurmountable burden each of those days

I don't see me doin' that either

Hell, my own grand kids make me claustrophobic sometimes

But, those good folks are out there

I do see the trend, however, in smaller packaging....and same or higher prices

Somebody's gettin' richer

'tain't me
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top