rehctub wrote: "Just remember, we are talking about 'pancakes at a local fund raiser'".

The above is an example of the same kind of lying used in advertising.

I wrote: "Our local swim club advertised pancakes with maple syrup."

Our local swim club has a fairly expensive restaurant. It was rehctub who made it into a local fundraiser. I didn't specify any venue.

Please forget rehctub's lie.

CJ: I don't support the selling of TT as lamb, never have, never will, but, if one thinks they can buy prime lamb at a discounted price, then more fool them.

BTW, I only sell the very best of everything and charge accordingly. My lamb loin chops are $22.50Kg, cutlets $38.99kg. On the other hand, some customers preffer hogget to lamb but they deserve to know what they are buying.

King Hazza
You said; I naturally gravitate towards Australian-grown products (being a lot fresher coming from nearby), Boy, if only you knew how things in food work. For example, did you know that apples are only picked 'once every year'. They are then gassed and kept in storage for up to 12 months then sold fresh. And these are from our local growers.

I don't dodge any questions, but, I don't quite know what you are talking about. Are you referring to 'cheap imports' and my suggestion that someone earning $1 a day would not care what's in the can?

david f,
Your swim club may well have an expensive restaurant, but, is it a 'non profit' venture? If so, it's a 'fund raiser'.

Perhaps you should put forward a mothion at the next AGM to upgrade the maple syrup, you know, just like the 'cheese wheel' incident in the movie crackajack.

Also, have you bothered to look into what brand of sauce they use. Is it the cheapest money can buy or is it a quality brand? How about the coffee?

In fact, why not upgrade everything they use so the 'kids', the intended recipients of this whole venture can have less money to spend on their swimming just so the likes of you can have 'real maple syrup' on your pancakes.

Let me know when you bring this up at the AGM, I would make a special effort to be there just to see the reaction of the commity.

As I have said before, a very petty issue! WHO CARES!

rehctub wrote: In fact, why not upgrade everything they use so the 'kids', the intended recipients of this whole venture can have less money to spend on their swimming just so the likes of you can have 'real maple syrup' on your pancakes.

...

As I have said before, a very petty issue! WHO CARES!

Dear rehctub,

The likes of me has not asked for real maple syrup on my pancakes. The likes of me is concerned about lying and calling something maple syrup when it isn't maple syrup.

You bring in compliance costs. Why not simply tell the truth and say what you have and what you are selling? I don't believe lying about what you have for sale is a petty issue.

Apparently you don't believe it is a petty issue or you wouldn't keep posting and find excuses and justification for the lies while repeating. WHO CARES!

Apparently you care very much.

Dear David
I do care about labelling issues and inpropper selling of products. What I don't care about is the maple syrup issue, that's all.

Compliance costs have skyrocketed in the past 5 to 10 years. Each item must have listings like; nutritional info, fat content, ingredients, allergents etc etc. Even in our trade we must now have all cooked food sent away for testing before we can sell them. Now at around $300 a pop, this puts presure on items like, kabana, straz, hot dog franks, hams, to a point whereby many small butchers no longer make their own smallgoods which in turn opens the door for yet more cheap imports. Countries like thailand or china don't care whats on the label.

Another interesting fact is the increase in obesity. So why has this happened if we are suposadly 'better informed' on what we eat?

It is all simply yet another 'money grab' by the authorities.

Another issue is the likes of 'tomato sauce'. At what point does a sauce be allowed to be called 'tomato sauce', considering the largest ingredient in cheaper brands is water? Do you have a problem with your club calling it 'tomato sauce'? Or should they label it as 'sauce with tomatoes added'?

Where do you draw the line with labeling?

rehctub asked: Where do you draw the line with labeling?

I drew the line when I started the string and gave specific examples. Don't call a syrup maple syrup unless it is maple syrup. Don't call potatoes Idaho potatoes unless they are Idaho potatoes. I mentioned examples where there was absolutely no ambiguity involved.

That is a very simple line. Call products by the right name. There are cases where the name is in doubt but not the cases I mentioned.

David, Your following arguments, and those of your supporters are confussing a 'fund raiser' event with 'retail outlets'. I agree that truth in labeling is important in retail, although I do think it is 'over the top' in many cases and, the increase in obesity has proven this.

The fact remains that your swimming club and it's fund raisers are there for one purpose and one purpose only. To raise money for the kids swimming.

All you have done is made a mountain out of a mole hill and, if you don't beleive me, take your concerns to the next AGM and request that the commity change thier ways to suit the likes of you.

I am sure they would be thrilled to make less for the kids just so you can have your 'genuine IMPORTED maple syrup'

Let us know how you go!