labels

The Meaning of Milk Label Colors

Mikey Rox — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:48:18 +0000

As Paul Michael pointed out in his post Breaking the Bread Code: How to Get the Freshest Loaf, the plastic tabs on bread have meaning, and the colors are fairly standardized within the bread-making industry.

But what about milk?

We all know that different types of milk — from skim milk to whole milk and everything in-between — have colored caps and labels so you can tell them apart easily while you’re shopping. What you might not know, however, is that there is no standardized system among dairies that calls for a certain type of milk to receive a specific color. (See also: More Uses for Powdered Milk Than You Ever Imagined)

Almost unanimously, the color for whole milk caps and labels is red — aside from a few rogue dairies that choose shades of orange or brown — which, light research suggests, is the result of do-as-the-Romans-do-type mentality. I looked up how the red cap started and why it is the preferred color chosen by most dairies, but there’s virtually no authoritative evidence.

The same thinking is also applied to 2% milk. Many dairies (but not all, by far) choose a variant of blue — from light to dark — to signify that the milk contains less fat but that it’s not low fat.

1% and skim milk is where the non-standardized system gets tricky. eHow claims that green is the color of choice of most dairies for 1% milk, while skim milk generally receives a purple cap. Except that’s not always the case — not even close. In fact, the 1% milk in my fridge, from Market Pantry (a Target brand), is yellow.

All hope is not lost, though. Take a look at this milk-label color-scheme standardization chart compiled by amateur milk-color-code investigator Shawn Brenneman, author of the blog startled.

He compiled the milk-cap colors for the four most popular milk types — skim, 1%, 2%, and whole — from 33 popular dairies. As I mentioned, most of the whole milk caps were red, but lessen the fat content in the milk and a seemingly random rainbow of colors appear. There’s 2% with a red cap from Mayfield (which uses brown for whole milk), a purple cap for 1% from Alta Dena, and a green cap for skim from Sunnyside.

What’s even more interesting is that some brands — like Trader Joe’s — don’t distinguish their organic and non-organic skim milks — both receive a light blue cap — which can be deceiving to shoppers, especially those in a hurry.

In addition, Brenneman even offers to help standardize the colors using this system:

Red Cap: Whole Milk
Purple Cap: Reduced-Fat (2%) Milk
Green: Low-Fat (1%) Milk
Light Blue: Skim Milk
Brown Cap: Chocolate Milk
Pink Cap: Strawberry Milk
Yellow Cap: Buttermilk
Orange Cap: Half and Half
Magenta Cap: Whipping Cream

Seems like a well thought-out solution, considering that many dairies are already on board with these colors choices for the various types of milk.

With such a seemingly easy problem to solve, why hasn’t it been standardized yet?

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This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Save Money With Online Sample Sales

Linsey Knerl — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:19:21 +0000

Designer duds don't have to be reserved for the affluent or those with a large fashion budget. In fact, samples sales have been giving those of us with a “regular Joe” income access to names such as Marc Jacobs, Chanel, and Jimmy Choo for deep discounts. Before you give up your dreams and rely on no-name numbers, check out our tips from our recent My Life Scoop article for using online sample sales to snag that bag, shoe, or dress – for less!

Join the VIP List

If missing the next online sample sale seems like a tragedy, you're best bet is to sign up for email newsletters from sites like SheFinds.com. SheFinds maintains a thorough list of online samples sales, and updates it regularly. In addition to offering dozens of hot items via online outlets, a digest of each week's picks will come to your inbox each Monday – provided you sign up, of course. Check out the Editor's pick for the most buzzed about deal of the day.

Hot tip: Shopaholics who tend to remain in motion will love the new Splendora app for the iPhone. This handy tool (called “SalesCast) lets users check out current and upcoming sales, bookmark your faves, and shop through your mobile browser. It's shopping bliss from anywhere you go!

Meet Your Brands “IRL” (In Real Life)

Sizing is an enigma, especially when it comes to designer women's brands, and a size 4 in one style may be a size 2 in another. Before you blow your budget on items that don't fit (especially since many sample sites refuse returns), it's wise to know how a designer label will feel on your frame by visiting a brick-and-mortar store first. Try on several styles in your favorite brand, and make note of the sizing before attempting to purchase online. Assuming a great fit can be devastating to your wallet (and your self-esteem.)

Hot tip: Become very familiar with an online sample sale's customer service and return policies before you shop. Some allow returns under very specific conditions, and others only offer final sales. If you think that the thrill of the deal may be killed by the rigidity of the purchase terms, it may be best to move along to greener (and more accommodating) online pastures.

Are you ready to shop? These additional tips can help you get set to save:

Being the first to the party is key to getting the best deals. Many sales only last 24-72 hours, but the hottest items rarely last more than a few hours before running out.
Membership is a requirement to purchase from many of these online sample sites. In addition, a few of them won't allow just anyone to sign up. The good news is that getting a referral or invitation from an existing member is usually very easy. Check out Facebook or Twitter for feedback from satisfied customers and contact one to see if they'll invite you. (Existing members usually receive a shopping discount as a reward for referring friends, so this is a win-win!)
Prices may not always be lowest at these sites. Before you get too jazzed about that 80% of price tag, do some comparison shopping at sites that you regularly shop (like Amazon.com or the designer outlets themselves.) If there is a seasonal sale going on, the prices may be just as competitive.

Online sample sales could be a great way to introduce your wardrobe to some fresh looks without the sticker shock typically associated with these looks. What brand or style are you hoping to find via an online sample sale? Read more tips at our latest My Life Scoop article!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The case for caloric labeling

Andrea Karim — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:55:32 +0000

You have to give Subway props. If nothing else, they are more or less honest about their food. There's not a lot of mystery involved with eating a Subway sandwich, salad, or wrap. You get to choose what goes on it, you get to see it being made, you get to annoy the sandwich artist with your demands ("No green peppers! Extra jalapenos!"). And you get a pretty good idea of how many calories you have consumed, because Subway provides visible labels for its food, with calorie and nutritional information. Now, Subway prides itself on its "Subway diet", but the best thing about Subway is that they tell it like it is, more or less.

This can't be said of other restaurant chains. Fast food restaurants, for instance, were notoriously secretive about their food's calorie levels until very recently, and even now, you have to pry the nutritional information out of the restaurant (of course, you can look for it online, but that involves more planning than most people are willing to do).

New York City has been leading the fight to legislate caloric labeling at chain restaurants, hoping that an open display of just how many calories are in that burger will cause some diners to make healthier dining choices. Chain restaurants are the only ones being targeted by this law, partly because their food can be incredibly unhealthy, and partly because, as megacorporations, they can afford to change their signage to accomodate the law.

Businesses that are affected by the law have balked of course. Although they cite the cost of creating signs and menus that list caloric info, we're talking about businesses that spend billions of dollars on advertising every year, and who make billions of dollars in profits.

Some argue that calorie labeling won't make any difference in diner's choices.

“Do you think people will stop eating McDonald’s French fries and Big Macs?” asked Rick Sampson of the New York State Restaurant Association, which is suing New York City over its law. “It doesn’t keep me from eating a candy bar even though the calories are listed on it right in front of me.”

This is a disingenuous argument. For one thing, no one is suggesting that people should stop eating at McDonald's. But knowing how many calories you are consuming CAN help you realize that, since you're eating a Big Mac, you don't need the fries. The comparison to a labeled candy bar is also useless; most candy bars contain a couple hundred calories, maybe as many as 400 - a chicken Caesar's salad at Chili's has over 1,000 calories.

That's right. A chicken salad. Over 1,000 calories. That's over half a day's caloric intake for an active person who is not trying to lose weight. Think about that. How many women order salads at lunch as a part of being "healthy"? Can you imagine how much longer it would take to lose weight if you were consistently eating 400 more calories than you should?

The truth is, chain restaurants don't want you to know that your salad has 1,000 in it. If you knew that, you wouldn't order dessert or a soda with your meal. You might actually eat less when you go out, or you might start eating out less frequently. The truth is, the labeling WOULD be bad for business. It's not that your local McDonald's would be shuttered overnight, but you'd think twice about returning as often if you had to scour the menu for a meal with under 800 calories in it.

This fun this video from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (via Consumerist) does a nifty job showing how the food at popular "Italian" chain restaurants stacks up against junk food, calorically.

I understand that Americans really hate being told what to do, and businesses especially balk at additional rules and regulations. Some might argue that Americans need to take charge of their own lives and their own health, and not wait around for the government to come to their rescue. But how can Americans take charge of their health if they can't figure out how many calories they are consuming? It might seem like a no-brainer to some that a salad coated in dressing and parmesan cheese isn't healthy, but 1,000 calories? That one surprised even me, and I'll look for any reason not to eat at Chili's.

Wise Bread readers know, for the most part, that the healthiest meals are the ones that you cook at home. But for the occasional times that we dine out, shouldn't we have the right to know what we are consuming?

This article is from Andrea Karim of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: