“Product A is healthier than Product B“
“Product C is ethically produced”
“Product D is better for the planet than Product E”
But what if it’s not? What if claims are based on one single paper out of 1,000 published papers?
What if the next human health claim “Product F contains increased concentrations of fatty acids that improve heart health and prevent cancer” is true… but the fatty acid concentrations are so low that you’d need to eat 500 lb of the food product per day to have a significant human health effect?
My all-time favorite food advertisement is posted below. It’s an amazing concept, beautifully-drawn, thought-provoking… and it says nothing. Yet if you buy any other milk, aren’t you feeding your children, grandchildren or partner with pesticides, hormones and drugs?
Marketing is awesome. Mis-marketing does nothing but confuse the consumer, the policy-maker and the retailer.
Organic Valley Advert c. 2009
Bovidiva 
I admire your brevity. My posts never end.
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Thanks Sam!
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I found your blog by chance.useful and nice.
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I know this post is old, but I just found it and it is precisely why I have mixed feelings about Organic Valley. The farm I grew up on is an Organic Valley member farm – my dad transitioned to organic because of a chemical sensitivity – and as a co-op they’ve been great to be part of. However, I just can’t get behind their marketing. I’d like to support the co-op my family’s milk goes to, but the way they market that milk bothers me.
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I agree! There is a place for every single system… but mis-marketing bugs the heck out of me!
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