# Mild pitting: Canadian supermarket chain manages to choose motto that is both dumb and dangerous **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 19, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364 "2015-05-19T14:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/1 "2015-05-19T14:30:08Z")
The supermarket chain [Sobey’s in Canada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobeys#Ready_to_Serve_initiative) developed a new slogan and mantra in the mid-2000’s: “READY TO SERVE” As part of their branding scheme, all labels printed in-store have this slogan on them. Raw chicken breasts, steaks, ground meats, etc. all have the “Ready to serve” motto printed on the label. See the bottom of [this link](http://www.inspection.gc.ca/about-the-cfia/newsroom/food-recall-warnings/complete-listing/2012-09-21/eng/1357586653942/1357586653973)for examples. How have they not had their pants sued off by someone who took the text literally? The slogan is almost 10 years old, and no one has brought this up in a marketing meeting? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/2 "2015-05-19T14:31:16Z")
Canadians are smarter? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/3 "2015-05-19T15:04:35Z")
:shrug: What **coach** said. Less litigious society? I get the concern, but it’s pretty clear that the “Ready to Serve” slogan applies directly to “Sobey’s,” even on the meal labels in the second link. You go into the store, you’re surrounded by the slogan, always in conjunction with the name of the store. I dunno. It’s been ten years; I’d think any problems would have shown up by now. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/4 "2015-05-19T15:10:58Z")
Well, technically, raw meat _is_ edible as is. The wisdom of doing so may be a different story. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/5 "2015-05-19T15:17:41Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > The slogan is almost 10 years old, and no one has brought this up in a marketing meeting? So, the slogan’s almost ten years old, and has apparently not caused any problems. Maybe this thread should be titled “Doper manages to critique motto in a way that is both dumb and about ten years too late.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/6 "2015-05-19T15:31:55Z")
I’m glad my country is not stupid enough for this to be an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/7 "2015-05-19T15:38:54Z")
But Whiskey Dickens is right. In the good old US of A, some idiot would eat the raw meat (or claim to have eaten the raw meat), then sued the company. God Bless America!!! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/8 "2015-05-19T15:44:11Z")
I’m going to agree with the OP on this one. Let’s say I buy some sausage. Some sausage is pre-cooked and can be eaten directly and other sausage is uncooked and needs to be cooked before it’s safe to eat. And it’s not always obvious which is which. So if I looked at the label and saw the words “ready to serve”, I’d assume that the sausage was pre-cooked and ready to serve. Not that “ready to serve” was the store’s motto. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/9 "2015-05-19T17:17:03Z")
Go read dummy’s Wikipedia link - nowhere in there does it say food labelling changed. The whole sloganeering exercise was to differentiate Soebeys from Loblaws on a service basis instead of price point. Now maybe the food was tagged “Ready to Serve” but the OP doesn’t establish that. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/10 "2015-05-19T17:31:08Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Go read dummy’s Wikipedia link - nowhere in there does it say food labelling changed. > > The whole sloganeering exercise was to differentiate Soebeys from Loblaws on a service basis instead of price point. > > Now maybe the food was tagged “Ready to Serve” but the OP doesn’t establish that. Haha! What? Please click on the second link in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/11 "2015-05-19T17:46:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So if I looked at the label and saw the words “ready to serve”, I’d assume that the sausage was pre-cooked and ready to serve. Not that “ready to serve” was the store’s motto. Sausages are what made me pause too! I had purchased uncooked sausages, saw the label and thought “Jeez, I’m glad I’m not one of the many, many people who are new to Canada and are less savvy about Sobey’s labels.” ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/12 "2015-05-19T18:17:19Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > Haha! What? > > Please click on the second link in the OP. And I cointuinue to be unimpressed dimwit. The “Ready to Serve” is NOT blazoned on the wrapping. It’s on the small black and white receipt thing they put in the top corner with the bar code and weight on it. The “Ready to Serve” which at the time, as per your first link, was their primary slogan, is obviously associated with the name Soebys and NOT the product they’re selling. SOEBYS Ready to Serve Keep Refrigerated Thank god you’ve brought the appropriate publicity to this non issue 2 years too late. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/13 "2015-05-19T18:44:29Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > And I cointuinue to be unimpressed dimwit. The “Ready to Serve” is NOT blazoned on the wrapping. It’s on the small black and white receipt thing they put in the top corner with the bar code and weight on it. > > The “Ready to Serve” which at the time, as per your first link, was their primary slogan, is obviously associated with the name Soebys and NOT the product they’re selling. > > SOEBYS > Ready to Serve > > Keep Refrigerated > > Thank god you’ve brought the appropriate publicity to this non issue 2 years too late. Haha! Classic! 😃 This post _is_ performance art, right? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/14 "2015-05-19T18:49:13Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > The supermarket chain [Sobey’s in Canada](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobeys#Ready_to_Serve_initiative) developed a new slogan and mantra in the mid-2000’s I love Pit Threads about current events. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/15 "2015-05-19T18:51:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > So if I looked at the label and saw the words “ready to serve”, I’d assume that the sausage was pre-cooked and ready to serve. Not that “ready to serve” was the store’s motto. Do you think you might, possibly, be able to work it out if you had just walked into a building that looked like [this](http://www.localandjust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sobeys.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/16 "2015-05-19T19:11:27Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Do you think you might, possibly, be able to work it out if you had just walked into a building that looked like [this](http://www.localandjust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sobeys.jpg)? Of course. I always compare food labeling to the sign outside which I have committed to memory. Doesn’t everybody? ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/17 "2015-05-19T19:53:48Z")
> [@Whiskey\_Dickens](#): > > Of course. I always compare food labeling to the sign outside which I have committed to memory. Doesn’t everybody? Everybody who’s not too stupid to live, yes. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/18 "2015-05-19T20:10:41Z")
I kind of see the point, honestly, and a lot of the assumptions people are making here might not be warranted. For example, let’s say your senile mother lives with, a recent immigrant from your home country. She sees the words “Ready to serve” on the package without having ever seen the store, and she’s not real up to date on food labeling standards or modern cooking practices. Heck, maybe where she comes from, [Wal-Mart carries live fish](http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-from-shopping-at-chinese-wal-mart-2014-1?op=1) in the store so that you can catch and kill it yourself. Sure, this woman is a one-in-a-million case. I guess that’s not such a big deal when all you have are trees and snow 😛 . The whole point of mandatory labeling on packages is not that 99% of the population might eat raw chicken out of the package. It’s so that the 1% who - for whatever reason - actually need that information. (And then, yes, an unfortunate side effect is that the 0.001% of assholes will sue you if you do it wrong.) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/19 "2015-05-19T20:32:35Z")
It says “ready to SERVE”, not “ready to EAT”. ---
**Author:** ![Whiskey\_Dickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364/20 "2015-05-19T20:36:51Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Everybody who’s not too stupid to live, yes. I’m picturing you standing outside of every building you’ve ever entered scanning for clues that may assist you in the future, like some sort of poorly controlled character in an adventure video game. Also, we’re talking about a supermarket. 95% of the items on the shelves don’t have Sobey’s label on it. Your exercise of memorizing the sign outside was as pointless as the rest of your day. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mild-pitting-canadian-supermarket-chain-manages-to-choose-motto-that-is-both-dumb-and-dangerous/720364.md?page=2)