Excuses, Excuses (shortages) [View all]
My husband told me last night that the latest "reason" he has heard for the shortage of saltine crackers, which is apparently nationwide, has to to with a strike sometime last year that affected the makers of Ritz crackers, Oreos, saltines, and other crackers and cookies. Ya know, it's funny, but I have seen NO lack of Ritz crackers, Oreos, Wheat Thins, Triscuits, etc. That got me to thinking. And I think the strike "excuse" is bull pucky. (Thanks, Rachel, for that expression!)
As many of you know, I'm a retired RN. I have lived through numerous "drug shortages", and it was always the cheap stuff....Solu-Medrol, the cheaper of the anti-nausea drugs, the cheaper antibiotics, etc. That started around 1999. Even certain types of insulin, in my later years in nursing. Stuff Big Pharma wasn't making huge profits on any more. There would be a "shortage" until Big Pharma figured out how they could jigger the formula, get a new patent, or maybe just withhold the drug long enough to raise the price. In other words, artificial shortages.
That's what I think is going on with saltine crackers. They're the cheapest thing this company makes. They want to raise the price. They can't fool with the patent, because there is none. So, withhold manufacture until there's more demand, then release at a much higher price. IOW, an artificial shortage. I'm about to break my promise to myself and check the Goya aisle for one of their big cans. Maybe they use a different manufacturer.
The supposed excuse for the shortage of cat food is a lack of aluminum cans. Uh-huh.
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