Have you ever bought something only to find out it wasn't made where you thought it was? Today I was grocery shopping and noticed several New Mexico True stickers on the shelf in front of products. In case you're not from New Mexico, NM True is a marketing campaign by the State Tourism Department to tout our local products. The stickers claim that the products are "100% Born and Raised in New Mexico" and some stickers even say "Buy Local".
"Heck yeah, that's what I'm all about!" I thought, as I reached for some green chile. Image my shock I was when I saw:
Product of Mexico Not Grown in New Mexico
Unfortunately, this wasn't the only item. The label on some sliced jalapenos says they are "Not Grown in New Mexico", but doesn't say where they are from and another product that I can't recall was also from Mexico. I didn't take the time to keep going, but I'm confident the few items I checked were not the only ones that are definitely NOT, New Mexico True.
This is only one of many examples of misleading or incorrect advertising I've encountered in my quest to buy local and buy American when possible. Checking labels has become a habit and I'm sad to say that misleading advertising is in full force despite attempts to curb deceitful practices. In this case, I'm confident it was an honest mistake by an employee in a rush to check off a task. However, I've seen deliberately misleading labels and marketing more and more since I've been paying attention to where items are produced.
If you are committed to buying US made or any other specific designation, be sure you read the fine print and ask questions. Rest assured, when you purchase any item from American Pride Trading, you can be confident that it really is Made in the USA.
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Thank you for reading and don't forget to check the label!