Europe's Best veggies from Asia

[Peter the eater]

This really bothers me.

The TV ad shows an upper-middle class North American guy gobbling up his vegetables and ignoring his steak while Vivaldi strings set the mood. Gobbling prepackaged prefrozen well-travelled microwaved veggies, that is.

I had forgotten about this brand until yesterday when I got "sampled" at the grocery store. The microwaved veggies looked and tasted okay, the same as any other frozen vegetables. I am offended that the makers are suggesting Europe has superior produce.. This is compounded by the fine print on the package: product of China. Are you kidding me?

I realize "made in China" has been taking it on the chin recently. I have nothing against Chinese produce, only that it is labeled "Europe's Best". And the elitist tone that Europe is better, for me, is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Europe isn't better. Europe is different. Europe is older, and white people have lived there longer.

In their own words: Our fruit and vegetables come from around the world: we comb the planet to find the very best. This does not sound like a very good idea to me . . .

Am I alone here?

[Fat Guy]

It's particularly silly given that the company is based in Quebec.

[feedmec00kies]

Those veggies have an awfully audible crunch for frozen microwaved vegetables...

I do see your point, Peter the eater. Although I honestly wasn't so bothered by the advertisement itself (though I could make an argument about gender stereotypes there, hehe), in combination with the name of the brand it's a little ridiculous. It definitely has some overtones about the superiority of Europe, particularly Western Europe I think (hence Vivaldi and not, say, Tchaikovsky or Dvorak).

Also, the "Made in China" label brings to attention the fact that many Western brands are sourced from elsewhere, even if they can maintain a certain "je ne sais quoi" based solely on the fact that they seem to be from the mostly Caucasian parts of the Western Hemisphere. "Asia's Best" or "Africa's Best" doesn't really have the same ring to it.

Edited September 15, 2007 by feedmec00kies (log)

[Peter the eater]

It's particularly silly given that the company is based in Quebec.

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You are right, I hadn't noticed that. Maybe there is something lost in translation. Montreal and the rest of Quebec, unique place that it is, does have some absurd language laws - but that's a whole other topic.

I'll bet there are lots of urbanites out there who want fruits and vegetables on demand from their freezer regardless of the season. I get that, I'm just not the target market. Maybe they have sales figures to prove me wrong, but selling frozen Chinese vegetables under the brand name "Europe's Best" . . . to North Americans . . . is just plain stupid. As far as I am concerned eating local produce is even more important than eating organic.

[CaliPoutine]

Hey Peter,

I never saw this topic when you started it. What a shame, since I said the very same thing about " Made in China" as you did. These veggies( and fruit) would often go on sale and I'd get them for the seniors. I was dismayed about The Made in China on the label. I think the spinach might be a product of Belgium. Some of the frozen fruit is a product of the USA. I really only bought them when they went on sale for 1.99( and sometimes I had 1.00 off coupons). It always really bothered me though.