"Apple Juice Lite my ass!"

I was reading a blog on the intertubes the other day and was surprised that I had never come across or thought about this issue before.

A man was complaining about the fact that he found apple juice too sweet although he liked to drink it. He had developed the habit of cutting his juice with water to reduce this problem and was happy with the results. Then when shopping one day, right next to his favorite brand, he saw “Favorite brand apple juice lite” He thought it was a great idea and bought some.

When he tried it at home, he was surprised when he tasted it. It tasted EXACTLY like his concoction – half apple juice, half water. Then he read the nutritional label and was shocked again. EXACTLY half the calories per serving, half the nutritional content and yet the COST WAS THE SAME. That’s right, the company added water to their product, called it “lite” and sold it for the same price.

This really is two problems. One is the ignorant American consumer, of which I am proudly one, who makes this type of purchase blindly and is then surprised the big bad corporation is taking advantage of them. The second problem is that big bad corporations are allowed to get away with stuff like that.

My guess is that the FDA’s guidelines or rules or whatever they have regarding food stuffs does not adequately define “lite” and as such, the consumer pays again. It makes me wonder about lots of products and their “lite” variations. Other drinks – watered down. “Lite” bread – cellulose (twigs, sticks and wood pulp) added.

OH MY GOD, what have they done to my “lite” beer!

Not only adding water is a problem. What about concentrated things, like laundry detergent. Do they take out some water, make the packaging smaller and then CHARGE MORE FOR THE DAMN STUFF? I cannot believe that we pay a premium for these things. Half the product for more than twice the money. No wonder we are in an economic crisis in this country.

What about the labeling. Fine print, misleading claims, weight changes in the packaging. Is there a way for us as consumers to be less gullible? Surely we can read every single label but who has the time or energy. Usually we are cramming grocery shopping in between taxi runs to dance class or soccer games (god bless Sarah Palin – NOT) or on the way to somewhere else. So what is the solution?

Well we see where less regulation gets us. Check out the stock market or your 401 K or the planned government buyout. No, less regulation and the market policing itself is not the solution. I think we need to hit these companies hard in their pocketbook like they hit us with this garbage.

If a company tries something like this they should be fined. Send the money to food banks or homeless shelters. Whip more air into ice cream. Lets not debate what to call it (strawberry flavored ice cream style dessert substance), just fine um! Give the money to charities or hurricane victims or other relief efforts. They make a can that used to hold a pound of product, looks the same and now holds only 14 ounces, fine um! Bag of cookies, same bag but now a couple of chips short of a pound, fine um! Stop trying to fool the public. Put the weight and content ingredients in large easy to read letters. Make a product with reduced fat but extra sugar so the calories are the same or even more – don’t put LOW FAT on the label, put SAME CALORIE CONTENT AS REGULAR PRODUCT. Fine um, fine um, fine um!

Well, all this talk has me hungry. I think I’ll go have some Snackwell cookies and some no sugar added ice cream.

Oh…