Anyone who’s lived in America for a while, or even those that have been here on holiday and tried Hershey's chocolate will no doubt understand why us expats are getting all worked up over the lawsuit recently filed by Hershey to ban the import of British chocolate.
Their reasoning? They want to protect their copyright in the United States so consumers are not "confused or misled when they see a product name or product package that is confusingly similar to a Hershey name or trade dress."
Because these two are really confusing, aren’t they?
Because these two are really confusing, aren’t they?
Apparently, it must be the colour of the packets, because I don't think there's any way, at all, that I could be confused about these two. Not even if I was blindfolded and wearing boxing gloves!
And then, the most ridiculous of all, the Yorkie Bar and the York Peppermint Patty. What the hell? These are so different, it's a joke. It's the name, they say, it's too similar, they say.... so in general, American consumers can't read enough to be able to tell the different between Yorkie and York? Nice, Hersey, what a lovely way to treat your customers by insinuating they're all illiterate.
It started with the recipe change of Cadbury's Crème Eggs, making them taste gritty and bland (basically, just like Hershey chocolate). They think we are just being typically picky expats when we complain about the bloody awful chocolate here. And why wouldn’t we? British made Cadbury’s Dairy Milk has a high fat content because the main ingredient is milk, leading to a nice creamy taste. The main ingredient of the American version is sugar and some lovely Polyglycerol polyricinoleate and soy lecithin (yummy). I think there might also be some sawdust and coal in there too, judging by the consistency.
So what can we do about this? Well, it might be a long fight, but the first thing would be to sign this petition:
"It will seem more likely to anyone who has ever tasted Hershey's own-brand products, and its approximations of Cadbury's, that they are instead preventing consumers from buying products which taste much better than Hershey's own,"
Oh, and then there's this:
DEFINITION OF "MONOPOLY"
A situation in which a single company or group owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. By definition, monopoly is characterized by an absence of competition, which often results in high prices and inferior products." [http://www.investopedia.com]
So go and sign that petition now. And a note to my family - get ready to fill your suitcases with Cadbury's chocolate next time you visit!
Baaaah....this makes me so mad ............Hershey's is trying to pretend the Cadbury's they make here is the same when of course it isn't: the British version has a higher fat content and lists its first ingredient as milk; the US version begins with sugar. To qualify as chocolate in the UK, a product must contain at least 20 per cent cocoa solids. In the US, the lower limit is 10 per cent, and American-made Dairy Milk is just 11 per cent cocoa. US bars also contain a different blend of chemical emulsifiers, giving them a longer shelf
ReplyDeleteI'm mad too... and a little sad, if truth be told. What am I going to do with no more Cadbury's chocolate??
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with this sentiment. Being a Brit living in Canada I am so upset by this. My Canadian friends don't seem to be anywhere near as picky as I am about satisfying their chocolate cravings. I'm all about the REAL Cadbury's!
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