“Real” Misleading Consumer Labels
The Consumerist considers what constitutes “Real Kraft Cheese”, and it highlights a dangerous and highly misleading advertising tactic that’s been around for centuries.
The “trick” is to call something “real”, or “authentic”, or “genuine” something something, when, ordinarily, one word would do. A good example is jewelery made of “real German Silver”. Sorry, folks; that’s not silver from Germany, that’s nickel. Another you don’t see much anymore is “Genuine ENP (or similar abbreviation) Silver”. A potentially controversial one is the “Authentic Herkimer Diamond” - actually quartz.
People get suckered by emotional language; “authentic wood-grain finish” sounds much better to most than “plastic”. So too with manly terms like “solid wood veneer”. As far as food goes, though, “real Kraft cheese” is so misleading because there is “real” Kraft cheese out there that comes from cows in the conventional fashion. Unfortunately, there are also emulsions like Velveeta, and the powdered shite in Mac ‘n’ Cheese Substitute.
Kraft may think a lot of their “real Kraft cheese”, but I’ll stick to “real Wisconsin cheese”, thanks. Yes, Wisconsin cheese, the real thing, accept no substitutes (like “Real California Cheese”).
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