So, I’m talkin’ to a customer the other day, and made a reference to Ragú®, the sauce in a jar that represents “Italian” food to the masses – through, by the way no fault of the masses – stuff like Ragú® is often the only representation of “Italian” food that people have ready access to.
Well, the couple nearly jumped outta their skin! The very notion of using such an icon of “industrial food” was anathema to them…yet, they proceeded to tell me about the wines they regularly drank, each of which is just like Ragú® – mass-produced, “industrial” stuff.
It seems few people make the connection between the foods they eat, and the wines they drink. Greg’s told me that even when he’s talking to people from Slow Food; folks who sincerely care about the authenticity and sustainability of the foods they eat, he hears about the “great, cheap” wines they’ll drink, which, invariably, are mass-produced junk.
So, in an effort to pull back the curtain, as it were, let’s take a look at some of the other products the company responsible for Ragú® produces…
Unilever, the makers of Ragú® “tomato sauce,” (official sponsors of NASCAR®) also make:
Country Crock® “spreads” (there’s a euphemism). They claim on their website: “Unilever is the world’s leading margarine manufacturer.”
Axe Personal Grooming Products for Men. Right on their website, Unilever says: “First launched in France in 1983, Axe is now giving guys the edge in the mating game in more than 60 countries.”
Knorr Bouillon – again, quoting the Unilever website: “Consumers see Knorr as a passport to world cuisine, adding new ideas and new twists to old favourites. (mmmm…nothin’ says “world cuisine” like a packet of hydrolyzed chicken stuff in a packet).
And my favorite, antiperspirants…check out this quote from Unilever’s web site: “We’re enabling millions of people in low-income markets, such as Asia, to enjoy the brand’s benefits via affordable mini-sticks, mini-roll-ons and sachets of deodorant lotions, supported by personal hygiene education programmes.”
That’s “programmes” with two “ms” and an “e” at the end, so it must be official.
Yup, these are just the people I want preparing my next meal.