But it does seem like you're getting more compared to 1/2 gallon. How many quarts in a gallon? Two? Four? No wait, wasn't that pints? And that's the beauty of the imperial system--it's confusing and therefore it's easily used to deceive the consumer. Why should the US Dairy Association, or whatever it is, want to give up this goose that lays such golden eggs.
On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 12:28 PM, Jeremiah MacGregor < [email protected]> wrote: > What is the metric size they are required to list as well? Is it 1.42 L. > I wonder how the change affects the colloquial expression of picking up a > half gallon of ice cream. Somehow calling it 1.75 quarts or 1.5 quarts just > doesn't have the same ring. > > Jerry > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Carleton MacDonald <[email protected]> > *To:* U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Saturday, February 21, 2009 11:48:27 AM > *Subject:* [USMA:43149] Re: consumer education on the metric system > > Many of them are now 1.5 quarts. Same price, of course. > > > > Carleton > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On > Behalf Of *John Woelflein > *Sent:* Thursday, February 19, 2009 16:57 > *To:* U.S. Metric Association > *Cc:* U.S.. Metric Association > *Subject:* [USMA:43093] Re: consumer education on the metric system > > > > 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] > > > > > >
