Oh those devilish Keebler elves apparently tired of downsizing their cookie packages have developed a new bad habit. According to Steven R., they have learned to talk out of both sides of their mouth.
Our consumer sent us photographs of a package of Keebler Country Style Oatmeal with Raisins, which clearly says on the front of the package in the bottom left hand corner that the product contains “no high fructose corn syrup.”
However, on the back of the bag, the ingredients statement tells a different story.
*Mouse Print:
We asked the company about the sweetener discrepancy. (Clearly they are not paying attention to the front label having left out the word “cookies.”)
A spokesperson replied with this statement:
Keebler Country Oatmeal Cookies has a printing error on the front of the package. The product does contain high fructose corn syrup which is included in the list of ingredients on the back of the package. We regret any confusion.
The company did not explain how this happened or for how long the misrepresentation was there.
Well aren’t you the picky one. After all, the front labeling of no high fructose is in such itty bitty font size, with color blending into the background, that anyone could easily have missed that for a very long time — ESPECIALLY in the packaging design phase. 🙂
At least the response didn’t run around the magical Keebler excuse tree — just a plain “error.” I’ll give them half a point for not wasting our reading time with BS.
I agree with you BobF in that they are not wasting our time.
I wonder if this was the first time this has even been brought up with the company.
Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, from highest to lowest. Oats comes in 3rd to sugar’s number 2 (well, isn’t THAT healthy), and the all-inclusive “enriched” (well, THAT sounds healthy) flour is first. Proper labeling would say “Laboratory Petri Dish Discs.” Other ingredients include the usual inexpensive inflammatory seed oils, undefined spices and those undefined “natural” flavors. But at least the Corn Lobby scored another win, after they almost went into a coronary reading that printing error, aye?
I love how they say that they “regret any confusion.” While this could be taken as a full apology, it’s also possible to interpret this as blaming the poor, befuddled consumer for being confused, as if a smart consumer who read the package carefully would be able to resolve the discrepancy.
“Regret the confusion” would be better, but best would be, “regret the error.”
Exactly! That is not a true apology. A true apology does not place any blame on the victim…the victim here being the consumer…and making sure the corrective action to their (Keebler) bad behavior is taken and not repeated.
I agree. That’s not an apology at all that’s trying to dump their air onto the consumer. I personally don’t believe it was an air anyway I believe it was intentional in order to sell more cookies to a more health conscious Society.
I thought Kellogs bought out Keebler, at least in Maryland, Kellogs is using old Keebler brand names for their crackers.
Ferrara Group purchased the Keebler brand from Kellogg in 2019. Also included in the sale were other brands: Mother’s, Famous Amos, Murray’s Sugar Free, Little Brownie Bakers (Girl Scout Cookies) as well as Kellogg’s fruit snacks.
https://www.supermarketnews.com/center-store/kellogg-sells-keebler-ferrero-13-billion
Thank you!
I snort-laughed at this part: “(Clearly they are not paying attention to the front label having left out the word “cookies.â€)”
But they didn’t leave out the word cookie/cookies, it is to the right of the nutritional info.
Good catch, Gert.
I also missed the word “cookie”. It might as well not be there if it’s that hard to spot.
To people who are trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup, this isn’t a simple printing error. It’s a lie.
Must be people [edited] who don’t know the difference between a lie and the truth.
Notice in their reply they make no mention of correcting the error.