Milk, Cheese, Butter Scales

[August1991]

Milk in Canada is sold by liters: 1 or 2 liters.

Cheese is sold by grams: 400 grams, typically

But butter is sold by pounds: 454 grams.

Anyone know why?

[Aristides]

Nope.

[dialamah]

It was cheaper and faster to change the label than to change the machinery that makes 1 lb blocks.

Just guessing, cause why not.

[Boges]

I remember when Cheese was sold in 500g bricks. Same with Bacon. Inflation FTW I suppose. 

Butter is still sold by the pound but pretty close to 500g. 

In Ontario where it's sold bags, Milk is sold by the Gallon or 4 litres but divided into 3 separate bags. This is a great way of selling milk. 

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Boges

[herbie]

My wife told me a new supermarket employee hunted her down in the office to say that a customer wanted a gallon of milk and she couldn't find any.... who's the dummy? The older people who still calls 4L jugs gallons or the kid who didn't know 4L is close enough?

Possibly it was a US tourist asking who was totally lost over metric...

BTW bacon was 'shrinkflated' years ago from 500 to 375gm Once in a blue moon you can still see 500gm packages.

And butter - yes that's it. Cheaper to change the print on the label than the machine. And the machines are all made in USA like those stupid 355ml, 591ml etc bottles and cans we gotta put up with. Just can't adjust them to pur 5ml less or 9ml more, that requires effort.

[sharkman]

Nah, butter probably stayed in pound size because of generations of baking recipes.  That’s why it has markings on the wrapper for 1/4 lb cut lines.