Sweet Baby Ray's

Here's a letter from Sweet Baby Ray's to their customer asking Sweet Baby to quit putting HFCS in their awesome BBQ sauce. Here's their reply.

Dear Susan,
I would like to inform you that our High Fructose Corn Syrup contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the FDA's requirements for the use of the term 'Natural' Our High Fructose Corn Syrup supplier does not use caustic soda or hydrochloric acid, which is produced using mercury cell technology. Also, our supplier requires that all processing aids used in their process, meets Food Chemical Codex Standards and all appropriate US Food and Drug Administration regulations. However, I will pass along your information to the appropriate person. If you have any further questions regarding this product feel free to contact me. Thank you and you have a nice day.

Maritza Cubero
Consumer Line
Sweet Baby Ray's
(508) 229-5322
service@sweetbabyrays.com

That's nice. I trust the FDA about as far as I could throw them... and with my bad back, I shouldn't be throwing any useless government agency staffed by former employees of the companies they're supposed to be regulating.

HFCS is not, by any means, natural, Maritza. Arsenic is 'natural'. And I don't want that in my BBQ sauce either.

Honey is natural. But honey would make your wonderful sauce cost a couple cents more per ounce. And in the highly competitive BBQ shelf, that's the difference between a sale and... oh, what? Bullseye took HFCS out of THEIR BBQ sauce? There's a bit too much liquid smoke for my taste - but it CAN be done. And Bullseye doesn't cost more or less than Sweet Baby Rays. Interesting.

I'm not going to boycott Sweet Baby Rays. But I don't like the uninformed-corporate speak that talks down to their customer. I'm their customer too... (for now) but I would expect real dialog between someone with real concerns. If I took the time to write a letter, I'd appreciate the same amount of time and consideration from the person or persons I addressed it to.

Some people actually go to college to study public relations and customer service.