So after some googling, apparently this is a VERY widespread practice spanning multiple brands, multiple manufacturers, all around the US; but I can’t seem to find any explanation. It can’t just be industry-wide madness, right? …Right?
this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2024
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Crappy Design
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- accidentally buy wrong butter because of mis-labelling
- get home and realise you got wrong butter, go buy another butter, one you actually wanted
- ???? (not really)
- profit
It's always profit.
This actually makes "sense," my last stick is blue, better get the blue box!
Exactly, they rely on absentmindedness and habit..
Same deal as shrinkflation - the package and price are the same, so you assume it's the same as always, but there is less in it now than there was before, and you only notice if you pay close enough attention (which they also make sure you don't not only by using distracting graphics and design, but shit like the music in store, shelving "design" and so on, and if you go even deeper - by working you too hard to have brain power left at the end of the day to notice they're fucking you over. Perfecting ways to manipulate customers is a multi trillion dollar industry).
all around the US
industry-wide madness
Not saying there isn't a better reason, but absolutely this could be it
I buy Costco butter, and they pull similar crap. The salted butter is in a blue package, but the wrap has red text, and the unsalted is in yellow packaging and the wrapper has blue text. What's even worse is the unsalted butter package has the word "unsalted" in bold red letters.
"They won't buy both. They will never know."
OP:
Think of it like home/away colors on sports uniforms. Home = blue with orange accent, away = orange with blue accent.
I shop at HEB, and buy both salted and unsalted butter for their specific uses. I can confirm that I’ve used the wrong butter multiple times because of this, and I always curse them for it. That said I still love HEB
A brand I often buy organic frozen veg from has recently redesigned their packaging. Pale blue background with colored text, and only a small image of the actual veg that's weirdly placed and hard to see. The text colour for peas is yellow, corn is blue, cauliflower is purple, and spinach is red.
Why...
I see HEB, I upvote. Best grocery store, hands down.
I guess the company that makes butter for HEB must also make butter for Jewel Osco. The butter looks exactly the same, but the box is different. On the Jewel (or signature) butter box, the salted is blue like the butter paper, and the unsalted is green... For some reason. But at least one of them matches the box, so it's not as confusing.
there's a youtube vid out there somewhere explaining why (a) sticks of butter are different shapes in different part of the us and (b) factories that they're made at. I can't remember who made it, but you might be able to find it. I had no idea US West Coast butter was different.
Classic red/blue loctite situation.
I get preferences but the distinction is overblown. I've never baked anything that didn't rise right or came out salty because of the butter distinction. 1/4 tsp per stick of butter isn't likely to mess with anything. The only time I've ever noticed the difference was unsalted butter on toast. I was like "why doesn't this taste like anything?"
Now that you mention it, yeah. Why does loctite do that?
Locktite comes in red bottles with a stripe the color of the fluid. Permatex is in blue.
But at least they got them packaged correctly?
Anyway, pretty weird. I've never bought salted, but my unsalted Challenge butter is in foil with blue print. Unsure about the box, I only have one quarter stick.
You have to try the salted. You don't have to refrigerate it, that why I buy it. Not a word of this to my cardiologist!!
You don't need to refrigerate unsalted either if you eat it in one sitting
I have just met you, and I love you!
If your cardiologist is something to have they'll bash you about sugars, not fat.
Of course sugars plus fat is one of the most disastrous nutrient out there.
Salted is worse for cooking since you want to precisely (or at least knowingly) control the amount of salt in the food. Before I met my wife I didn’t really spread butter on things like toast, and I never bought salted till we started dating and she wanted it. Blew my mind.
You are correct that that is what unsalted is for, but you are vastly overestimating how much most people care about being precise with their salt. I reckon only people who bake from scratch or make confections from scratch (and those are small fractions of the population) really take issue with the extra salt from salted butter.
It is worse for cooking even if people don’t pay attention to it.
Haha what a username 🙂 I only bake with butter and like using unexpected things for salt (and unami), but I will consider picking up some for the next round. My main use takes a quarter stick at a time!
If you use a butter bell to keep the mold out, you can leave either out the fridge! LOVE mine.
I use unsalted butter and mostly keep it un-refrigerated without issue. In the summer, I do have to move it somewhere cooler. Keeping oxygen out is important.
I didn’t realize the plight since I guess Kerrygold are the only sane butter people. Unsalted = silver box/wrapper. Salted = gold box/wrapper.
Also, Protocol 2, OP.
Protocol 2? Im definitely missing some context.
Putting your handle to shame, smh.
Fuck me. I wasn’t even thinking in that context. I thought it was in reference to a new Lemmy thing like “Rule”.