When most people in the world tell their wife they are “going out for a pint” they mean a beer. In my world, it means ice cream. I have mentioned before that I do enjoy the stuff. And I know better. But sometimes I deserve it. Last night was one of those nights.
So, at 10:00pm, I headed to the nearest grocery store, intent on purchasing a pint of deliciousness. (Because nothing screams health-freak like consuming ice cream and then going straight to bed!)
As I stood contemplating, the choice came down to two:
Dulce de Leche. By Haagan Dazs. Silky smooth, creamy caramel. Instantly brings back happy thoughts for those who served missions to South America. It cost a bit more than Ben & Jerry’s, but it is delicious.
Imagine Whirled Peace. By Ben & Jerry. Quite new to to me. Has some bits in it that remind me of sticky toffee pudding like you get in England. It is good enough to ignore that it is associated with John Lennon
While I was contemplating, I noticed something I had never noticed before:
I was aghast! Haagan Dazs was ripping me off! How long this nefarious scheme had been going on, I have no idea, but it is wrong, wrong wrong. Without my realizing it, they had reduced the amount of the ice cream in the carton by 12.5%.
That is like taking one egg out of the carton, or one donut out of the dozen box.
And to make up for this shortage, they RAISED THE PRICE.
Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. I guess that’s what we should come to expect from ice cream makers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark. The Bronx, New York. (It’s true.) And now they are based in California. That must be where they get that lovely Scandinavian flavor. (Ephraim, Utah is more Scandinavian than Haagan Dazs because they celebrate Scandinavian Days)
But, much to their credit, Ben & Jerry are still selling their ice cream by the pint – the WHOLE pint. And it is cheaper than their shady competitors. (I won’t even mentioned that they are owned by Unilever – a European soap company)
So, if you have the choice, buy Ben & Jerry’s.
Let’s show Haagan Dazs that their pseudo-Danish methods don’t fly here!
(And if anyone knows how to type an “umlaut” over the “a”, don’t bother telling me, because Haagan isn’t a real word anyway. They just made it up, too.)
Can you tell this whole episode bothered me?
(I think I am more bothered that it happened a long time ago, and I just now noticed.)
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Here is a link to an interesting article a little while ago that talks about how companies are reducing how much product they put in the package without changing the price so they can increase profits.
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You can also type an umlaut in Word by pressing and the vowel you want the umlaut over.
I hope you’re not mad about this. . .
Try Graeter’s instead (from your local Kroger affiliate).
You just converted me.
If you ever have a chance to buy Blue Bell ice cream, go for it. They still do the real half gallon. It’s unfortunately not readily available in Utah. Arizona, Texas, and other states have it,though.
PS ä is Alt 132, and you’re right that they just made up the Häagen Dazs name to sound foreign.
Those Scandinavian (aka New Yorkers) jerks! It’s just like Europeans to think they need to save us fat Americans from ourselves by selling us less ice cream!
I love Ben and Jerry … They are the men in my life…unfortunately the only men in my life unless you count the life challenged Nephite who waits longingly for me on the other side of the veil!
Ephraim? They have Haagan Dazs in Ephraim?
I wouldn’t assume that he’s from Ephraim. I’ve been sharing my knowledge that Payson has Onion Days because I read it in Family Fun magazine or something like that. There were 50 food festivals for 50 states and Onion Days is what they picked???? What about Brigham’s Peach Days??? oh forgot to mention don’t live in Payson and never been to onion days.
(Ephraim, Utah is more Scandinavian than Haagan Dazs because they celebrate Scandinavian Days)
Hmmm….Is this a secret message?? Is the anonymous MMM, from or currently in this Little Utah Town??
Well, this is just AWFUL! AWFUL, I tell you. I’m very frustrated about this post. I have been eating healthfully all day. ALL DAY! With nary a thought regarding a fatty, delicious, guilt-inducing dessert. And NOW all I want to do is text my EC and demand he bring home New York Chocolate Chunk Ben and Jerry’s because that’s the only kind worth having in my mind.
Do you know how many hours I will have to spend to make up for this disaster?? Now I’m just pissed. 🙂
hate to say but its only going to get worse. and not because companies choose to do but will have to do it. Infaltion = Less ice cream for more money. It’s really having an effect on my chocolate consumption as well.
If only I weren’t so opposed to a big brother government. I would propose mandatory pints of ice cream, mandatory 1/2 gallons of juice, mandatory 6 oz tubes of toothpaste, etc… Be a savy consumer and protest such actions with your wallet.
A number of years ago we had to buy (honest, we HAD to!) Breyer’s ice cream because of my son’s corn allergy (good boy, son) and that was the only brand we could get that used sugar instead of corn syrup. We were aghast (aghast, I tell you!) when their “half gallon” went to a quart and a half. Now everyone seems to be doing it.
He’s no longer allergic, and we mostly buy that slow churned stuff, but it’s all still in the smaller packages.
Hmmmf.
MMMM B&J’s too many flavors to love, too little time to enjoy. Blasted diet, now I am going to have a real struggle…starting to crave already.
Well, that does it. I’m leaving my desk right now to march down to Smith’s and buy a pint of Ben and Jerry’s! Political/economic/justice statements can never be made too early or too often!