Some labeling decisions may seem absurd but have an important impact on the way that food items are considered by merchants, food manufacturers, restaurants and other important entities. The classic example is the Reagan-era concept of ketchup counting as a vegetable. Another, more modern-day example: What’s the difference between a burrito and a sandwich?
This sounds like a ridiculously easy question to answer, but it may be more complex than you might think, and food labels should help consumers and distributors cut through that complexity with the right descriptions. NPR recently reported on the legal history of debate over what actually counts for each of these two categories.
The article quotes computer developer Noah Veltman, who described the considerations when categorizing a sandwich.
“My new home state of New York has a special tax category for sandwiches,” he said. “And because they have that, it means they then have to go and define what they think a sandwich is.”
One person outside of the food industry who has had to contend with this distinction is the actor Jason Segel, who caused something of a social media frenzy two years ago by expressing a preference for sandwiches over burritos on Twitter. Appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman recently, Segel recounted the gaffe but didn’t seem to have changed his mind, calling burritos “limited.”
As absurd as this kind of talk might sound, it reflects the sort of discussions that policymakers are actually having, as well as regulations that could affect your business if you produce sandwiches or burritos. Whatever you call your items, the product label printing methods you use should be appropriate.
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