Well, one thing’s for sure: They’re NOT potato chips!
I was sitting in a Workplace Ethics class yesterday night when we were discussing topics like fraud, misrepresentation, lies of commission vs. lies of omission. A fellow student briefly mentioned the “Pringles case” according to which we can not call Pringles potato chips anymore. Everyone had a puzzled expression in their face. Another visibly outraged student exclaimed: “Yes! I read about that, too! That’s because less than 40% of what they’re made of are potatoes!”
I was confused.
In a world where “healthy nutrition” is more and more propagated, we’re being bombarded on a daily basis by alarming news about the dangers related to the food we consume. Mad cow disease, bird flu, swine fewer, spoiled meat scandals (I vividly remember the commotion 2005 in Germany), genetically modified food, the fast food witch-hunt (who wasn’t shocked by “Super Size Me”?) and the list goes on and on. I will leave it up to you whether all the commotion was legitimate.
But I decided to look into the Pringles case and came across a Los Angeles Times article dated July 5, 2008. Turns out, a London judge ruled Pringles are indeed not potato chips. The whole issue was originated by a tax dispute about Britain’s 17.5% sales tax. “Luckily”, due to the outcome of the dispute, Pringles can now be sold tax-free in Britain, since they don’t fulfill the legal definition of “potato crisps” (the British term for “chips”).
The judge of the Supreme Court didn’t say what Pringles are, other than that they’re tax-exempt. Not adding further information, this could leave us quite concerned. The unanswered question in my head would still be: So what the heck are they made of??” And the answer seems to be “baked dough” (and not potato slices). Alright, so this doesn’t seem too bad, after all, does it?
But are those little pieces of crucial information the ones that will spread around? I guess not. Yesterday’s class was a great example. As soon as the main point came across (they only made us BELIEVE Pringles are potato chips) everyone’s reaction was the same: shaking of heads, mumbling and an overall outraged atmosphere.
Sure, they’re now saving taxes, but are they sacrificing parts of their reputation?
Is this whole media induced paranoia making us less objective (and God knows this doesn’t only apply to the food industry)?
Does the fear of food make us healthier human beings?
You decide.
