Serving suggestions

[Allen Crisp]

Why does the packaging on food items often contain these pictures and what use are they?

This weekend I have purchased a pack of barbecue spare ribs and it was suggested that I put them on a plate. What a terrific idea! Also a cake where the suggestion was, in case I couldn't work it out, to cut a slice from it!

[Pinotage]

Easy

 

If youcould read, you'd have bought the pork ribs from a burcher and, using a recipe in a cook book, prepared spare ribs for a fraction of the cost you bought the ready prepared item. Ditto the cake.

 

But seriously - what picture would you want them to put in the packaging? And if the picture showed the product on a plate, a purchaser could reasonably expect to find the plate insid ethe package. Thats why they cover themselves with 'serving suggestion.

 

What that really means is that the product inside will never in 1 million years look like the photo, because we use professional food stylists and camera tricks, mashed potato instead of ice cream, dry ice to provide steam, tiny plates to make the portions look large, etc etc, and no matter that you follow the instructions to the letter you're going  never going to get it too look like th e'serving suggestion' and you'll feel guilty and inadequate. But you'll but it again and try harder. And fail.

[Allen Crisp]

Dear Pinotage

 

If you read this, I thank you for your answer but am unsure what purpose is served by your first paragraph. I assure you that I can read and write English, to a high standard in both respects. I am a regular visitor to the local buTcher and am well aware of the lower costs. I am also quite capable of baking a cake. I agree that the result in both cases is superior but this is not an opinion shared by everyone, specifically my children.

[Pinotage]

Dear Allen

Rereading that first sentence I agree it doesn't come out like I meant - but there are no edit facilities yet. Sorry to have offended you, not my intention.

Re the cut open cake, it is a way of showing what the cake looks like inside.

 

I agree, I am often exasperated by these 'serving suggestions'. I have just bought a pack of Saxa salt which has four photos on it marked serving suggestion - corn on the cob with a knob of butter on them, an open boiled egg, three slices of tomato, and some wedge potatoes.

 

So that now gives me some ideas how to serve the salt?

 

regards

[TTFresh]

Don't be too hasty Allen, a chap walked into an american-owed supermaket chain outlet to complain at the lack of meat in his disposable barbeque pack.  When the lady behind the customer service counter pointed out it was merely a "serving suggestion" and that the pack did infact contain no foodstuffs, the man could only reply "Well I better take the other packet oput of the freezer then!"

Difficult to believe isn't it

[Allen Crisp]

Pinotage

 

No offence taken, really. But I wonder what people would expect the inside of a fruit cake to look like?

[senga-marie]

On a slightly different note does it not also infuriate you when highly processed foods and various adjuncts are described as 'Country Style'  'Bakers Pride' or that old chestnut 'Farmhouse'  how on earth do they get away with it these days?