Thurles Information

Two old adages or statements expressing a general truth come to mind when we examine the tins of Chocolate Kimberley biscuits manufactured by Jacobs, (“Elite”) which were stacked high on our Supermarket shelves last Christmas 2024.

The adages are “A pig in a poke” and “Letting the cat out of the bag”.

A “Pig in a Poke” refers to an item that is bought without first being inspected, and is therefore of unknown authenticity or quality. This idiom was attested as early as the year 1555, quote:-
“I wyll neuer bye the pyg in the poke”. [I will never buy the pig in the poke.]
“Thers many a foule pyg in a feyre cloke”. [There’s many a foul pig in a fair cloak.]

Most of our readers will be aware that a “poke” is a sack or a bag, (Same comes from the French word ‘poque’), but in the case of Jacob’s Chocolate Kimberley Biscuits, last Christmas this poke was a tin box.

In the 19th century farmers often substituted a cat for a suckling pig, when bringing it to market. When the buyer returned home to release the pig, he would discover this deception, hence the adage “Letting the cat out of the bag”.
The Italian statement, expressing a general truth, is more relevant in this case, “Buying in a closed box”.
[Note: Under common law, buyers have the right to inspect goods before any purchase takes place.]
The ‘Jacob’s’ brand name is owned by the Jacob Fruitfield Food Group, with offices at Commercial House, Millbank Business Park, Lucan, Co. Dublin, and is part of Valeo Foods.

So let’s examine what appears to be not just deception but also evidence of company financial greed.
When the lid of the tin box is opened the thermoformed plastic customized packaging within, appears to offer 30 individual Jacob’s Chocolate Kimberley biscuits, laid out in 10 separate sections; 3 deep. There is no numbering of the items contained on the box, displayed on the exterior, (even boxes of Lidl tissues state that 226 tissues are contained). Usually, when empty, both tin and packaging within, is dumped into recycling.

But take a closer look at the internal packaging. [See Images above]. Is same designed to delibertely deceive?
Take a side-view look at the thermoformed plastic. In actual fact only 26 biscuits are to be found located within the tin container, where 4 others are delibertely excluded due to the deliberate design of the thermoformed customized plastic packaging within.

To add insult to injury, the Yuka Application (App) [which we have referred to previously] rates the product as BAD, granting it only 12 out of a possible 100.
Yuka points out this product contains calcium carbonate, latter an additive extracted from limestone, which presents in the form of nanoparticles, tiny molecules that can penetrate into living cells and accumulate in the body and whose long-term effects are unknown.

Finally, note the shape of the tin container, its rounded corners prevents another 12 Kimberley biscuits from being inserted into the tin were it to be square.
Retailers charge consumers €10 in November, for those shopping early for Christmas, and €8 the fortnight before Christmas to ensure the product, which has a shelf life of 6 months, is totally gone off their display units.

Fool me once, shame on thee; fool me twice, shame on me.