Reminds me: when did the dairy industry broadcast the change in ice cream products' size, from a half-gallon container to 1.75 quarts? Grrrrrrrrr.
On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 4:21 PM, STANLEY DOORE <[email protected]>wrote: > McDonald's restaurant is moving in the right direction. > On its new table top flip device telling about its history and food > quality, except for calories, metric was used throughout (g & mg etc). Only > totals were listed in both oz and grams. It's a major step toward the SI. > Stan Doore > > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Victor Jockin <[email protected]> > *To:* U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, February 19, 2009 1:32 PM > *Subject:* [USMA:43086] Re: consumer education on the metric system > > Very well put and absolutely correct. The only area in which I slightly > disagree is your assumption that FMI actually believes those things. It is > a fully disingenuous attempt to avoid the possibility of some trivial > one-time costs. > > > > *From:* Phil Chernack <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Thursday, February 19, 2009 10:17 AM > *To:* U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> > *Cc:* U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> > *Subject:* [USMA:43085] Re: consumer education on the metric system > > Well, I pose this one: > > Does the avarage consumer know and understand the differences and > relationships between ounces, pints, quarts and gallons? Many times I see > unit pricing in quarts but the items being sold have no mention of quarts on > them. They are either fl oz, mL or L. It seems to me to be very > disingenuous on the part of the food marketing industry to "claim" most > consumers don't understand metric or rather, understand customary units > better all the while they are changing package sizes to non-standard sizes > and putting only fl oz rather than expressing rounded up units such as > quarts or gallons. Meantime, the unit pricing does not reflect these. You > know as well as I that most consumers don't even pay attention to the units > on the package to begin with. They buy by size--that is small, medium, > large. How many people have been hoodwinked into thinking they are buying a > half-gallon carton of something when it really contains less. The package > size is a little smaller but it "looks" like a half-gallon. > > As for the space argument that rationally sized metric products won't fit > into the current racks, refridgerators or shelves is a specious one at > best. I have seen plenty of rationally-sized metric products in the > supermarkets from soda and juice to cleaners and they fit fine. > > One other note, the FMI refers to the "metric experiment" I have news for > them: it's no experiment. As many here can point out, many industries have > converted to metric or work in metric with no issues and have made the > deliberate decision to do so. What we have is a long, slow, painful > inevability that could be made quicker and less painful. > > Phil > On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 10:57 AM, Paul Trusten <[email protected]>wrote: > >> FMI claims that the American public does not understand the metric >> system and is not demanding metric products. I think there is some truth to >> this claim. Although the U.S. public has taken to metric soft drinks (and >> hard drinks, too) , it remains to be seen if the average U.S. shopper >> understands, *upon inspection, *how, for example, a 1 L bottle relates to >> a 500 mL bottle or a 750 mL bottle. Now, you and I on this list laugh at >> such a statement, because we have made this understanding of metric units as >> instinctive as cents relate to dollars. But FMI is talking about the >> average consumer who, under the FPLA amendment, suddenly will be faced with >> labeling, shelf tags, and advertising in metric units only, and will have >> to make a purchase based upon metric-only labeling. Its point that numerous >> questions will be handed to store personnel is a valid one (I speak here >> from personal experience as a retail pharmacist over the years, when any >> consumer-product issue comes up from behind and taps the public on the >> shoulder) . >> >> We must face the fact that Americans are generally not taught or oriented >> to using, and *comparing,* metric units. Buying a 2 L bottle of Coke is >> one thing, but really processing that measurement information is another. >> Does the average shopper know that 2 L = 2000 mL, and can (s)he yet quickly >> and easily relate a 2 L bottle to a 250 mL bottle? I don't think so. I say >> we need to work to change that. We who extol the advantages of metric need >> to educate our fellow Americans on features, and the virtues the metric >> system. This just isn't common knowledge yet in America. >> >> Developing a plan for consumer metric education is going to be a top >> priority for me at USMA in the coming months. >> >> We can accomplish two things with mass consumer education: to reduce any >> possible public confusion over metric units, and also to sell the decimal >> advantage of metric. >> >> >> Paul Trusten, R.Ph. >> Public Relations Director >> U.S. Metric Association, Inc. >> www.metric.org >> 3609 Caldera Blvd. Apt. 122 >> Midland TX 79707-2872 US >> +1(432)528-7724 >> [email protected] >> > >
