# Brands that are common around the world, but not the United States **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455 "2009-10-11T23:30:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/21 "2009-10-12T15:48:03Z")
Related old thread: [What can I buy in Canada but not the US?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=216018) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/22 "2009-10-12T16:27:51Z")
> [@Waffle\_Decider](#): > > I’ve heard that it’s supposedly against the law in the US to embed inedible stuff inside food. Which is unfortunate… Alas, no “spring surprise” then. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/23 "2009-10-12T16:37:07Z")
> [@Morelin](#): > > :dubious: 10 years ago, I bought them pretty regularly for the girl I was nannying. In California. I haven’t looked for any recently, though. I have found them in ethnic markets in California on occasion. They probably get them through smaller importers who aren’t being scrutinized for illegal kinder eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/24 "2009-10-12T17:46:25Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > Bayer Aspirin is widely available in the US. Yes, but aspirin is not a trade name in the US. It is up here. ---
**Author:** ![ThirdOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@ThirdOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdOne)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/25 "2009-10-12T18:57:38Z")
Once upon a time, Peugeot, Renault, Fiat and Lancia were all available in the US. I’ve not car-shopped for a while, so don’t know if they’re still a presence here. Cadbury’s by US mfg. cannot compare to the UK version. I’ve had both. I’ll take the UK any time! Thankfully, we have a few import stores near where I am, so I can get them. Oh, and Heinz baked beans. The UK ones are freaking awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/26 "2009-10-12T19:06:09Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Yes, but aspirin is not a trade name in the US. It is up here. I’m not sure what you mean by “trade name”, exactly. You can buy aspirin in the US that’s labeled as aspirin. Am I misinterpreting you? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/27 "2009-10-12T19:10:33Z")
> [@sugar\_and\_spice](#): > > Parmalat! > > I’m familiar with it from various trips to Latin America, I actually thought it was a Venezuelan or Mexican brand until I looked it up just now. wikipedia says it’s sold in the US under license, and I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere here but it’s certainly not ubiquitous. We have it in our main supermarket (Stop and Shop) here in CT. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/28 "2009-10-12T19:28:14Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I’m not sure what you mean by “trade name”, exactly. You can buy aspirin in the US that’s labeled as aspirin. Am I misinterpreting you? In Canada, Aspirin is a brand name, like Tylenol. Only Bayer can sell Aspirin. Generics have to use a different name. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/29 "2009-10-12T20:27:44Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > In Canada, Aspirin is a brand name, like Tylenol. Only Bayer can sell Aspirin. Generics have to use a different name. OH. I get things! Yeah, that is different. But you can still get Bayer Aspirin in the US. So I don’t think it actually fits this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/30 "2009-10-13T02:17:33Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I have found them in ethnic markets in California on occasion. They probably get them through smaller importers who aren’t being scrutinized for illegal kinder eggs. IIRC we got it at Costco. Or Safeway. My boss wasn’t one for small ethnic markets. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/31 "2009-10-13T17:32:55Z")
> [@tetranz](#): > > [CRC](http://www.crcindustries.com) doesn’t seem to be available here, at least not readily in the retail world even though it’s a US company. Check your auto-parts stores. It’s available there, or from an electrical supply house. \*\*sugar and spice- \*\*Check for it in the baking goods aisle. Near the dry milk. That’s where I always found it… not that I have any interest in buying it. What benefit, other than unopened shelf life, does it have over the stuff in the dairy case? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/32 "2009-10-13T18:10:41Z")
Exactly the benefit you mention. Which means that if, like my family, yours drinks about a quart a day, you can buy enough for the week without needing a whole fridge for it. Milk was the one item that we never wrote in the shopping list: it was understood that you bought whatever was in the list and filled the rest of the cart with milk. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/33 "2009-10-13T18:12:45Z")
> [@ThirdOne](#): > > Once upon a time, Peugeot, Renault, Fiat and Lancia were all available in the US. I’ve not car-shopped for a while, so don’t know if they’re still a presence here. Nope. Peugeot, Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Renault all dropped out of the US market in the early 80s. Alfa will be back for the 2010 model year, though, and IIRC Fiat-badged models will follow in 2011. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/34 "2009-10-13T18:14:29Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > I have found them in ethnic markets in California on occasion. They probably get them through smaller importers who aren’t being scrutinized for illegal kinder eggs. They sometimes carry them at Publix, the 7th largest grocery chain in the country, so I don’t think they’re illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/35 "2009-10-13T19:03:02Z")
Bimbo brand bread. Not that the bread itself is anything other than WonderBread with a different label, but my inner 12-year old is endlessly amused by the name. (It’s common in Mexico, anyway; you can see all kinds of vans driving around with BIMBO! in giant letters on the side. ( You can get that delivered now? Why, yes, I’d like one. Blonde, please). I don’t know about its presence in the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/36 "2009-10-13T20:01:29Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Bimbo brand bread. Not that the bread itself is anything other than WonderBread with a different label, but my inner 12-year old is endlessly amused by the name. (It’s common in Mexico, anyway; you can see all kinds of vans driving around with BIMBO! in giant letters on the side. ( You can get that delivered now? Why, yes, I’d like one. Blonde, please). I don’t know about its presence in the rest of the world. You can get Bimbo products in the United States, but only in stores that cater to a Mexican clientele. In the same stores, you can often get Mexican Coca-Cola, which some people swear tastes better than the American version, because it’s sweetened with sugar rather than corn syrup. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/37 "2009-10-13T20:34:59Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > \*\*sugar and spice- \*\*Check for it in the baking goods aisle. Near the dry milk. That’s where I always found it… not that I have any interest in buying it. What benefit, other than unopened shelf life, does it have over the stuff in the dairy case? While Parmalat does sell shelf-stable milk, they are actually a $4+ billion international company, based in Italy. They own many brands that are popular here in Canada, including Astro yogurt, Black Diamond and Balderson cheese, Beatrice milk, Lactantia butter and Parkay margarine. ---
**Author:** ![MizTina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MizTina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizTina)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/38 "2009-10-13T23:05:13Z")
Milo! When I was a kid and lived in Thailand, I thought it was the greatest thing in the world. But really couldn’t find it here. But Sunday, I went into a Sengalese grocery store, and there it was! I had to have it. It still tastes great, but the label tells me that I probably don’t want to be putting it down like I did 40 years ago. 🙂 It’ll be a special treat for every now and then. The grocer had homemade beignets that were just darn fine too. Another special treat. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/39 "2009-10-13T23:07:23Z")
I’ve never seen Chupa Chups in the States, but they are everywhere in Europe. Doesn’t mean they aren’t here, I just have never seen them Stimorol Gum Dr. Oetker ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455/40 "2009-10-14T00:18:37Z")
TyNant is hard to find in my neck of the woods. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brands-that-are-common-around-the-world-but-not-the-united-states/513455.md?page=3)