What's up with Del Monte?

In article <deeQb.3815$U%5.22708@attbi_s03>, notbob
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Has Del Monte Foods caved? Have they finally succumbed to the bottom line. Or is someone just
> screwing up. Whatever the reason, Del Monte canned goods seem to be losing it. I've been a happy
> consumer of their products all my life and some of their products I just won't deviate from. But,
> lately, I've been sorely disappointed.
>
> In one case, their sweet relish (I'll tolerate no other) was so bad I had to return it to the
> store. Not only was it vile tasting, but it was gray, like the glass jars had been sitting in the
> sun for a long time. Another jar, from another store, seemed to taste ok initially, but went bad
> in just a few weeks in the fridge. Last night I opened a new jar of pickled beets. The classic DM
> pickling brine was definitely "off". It just wasn't the same. And, now that I think about it,
> their tomato sauce seems to be a bit lacking in its usual full flavor, too.
>
> Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months? Maybe we just got some bad
> batches out here in CA.

>
> nb

Hmm. The Gedney folks here (MN) are doing some stuff for them (for about the last year or so). The
article I found(first in a google search of "Del Monte" + "M.A. Gedney" said Gedney was going to add
pickle products to DelMonte's line. I sure hope that's not a Gedney product that you're not liking
-- they make a high quality product.

Did you check the code on the jar or its lid? (But you'd have to know how to interpet it anyway.)
That'd tell you how old it is. At that, color might suffer, but the taste shouldn't.
--
-Barb A good friend will come and bail you out of jail; a true friend will be sitting next to you
saying, "Damn,that was fun!"

notbob wrote:
> Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months? Maybe we just got some bad
> batches out here in CA.

Make a note of the code on the can. It tells when and where the can was produce. Tell Del Monte
about it! It probably is an honest mistake and I am sure they will want to correct it.

http://www.delmonte.com/Contact.asp

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/
[email protected]

notbob wrote:

> In one case, their sweet relish (I'll tolerate no other) was so bad I had to return it to the
> store. Not only was it vile tasting, but it was gray, like the glass jars had been sitting in the
> sun for a long time. Another jar, from another store, seemed to taste ok initially, but went bad
> in just a few weeks in the fridge. Last night I opened a new jar of pickled beets. The classic DM
> pickling brine was definitely "off". It just wasn't the same. And, now that I think about it,
> their tomato sauce seems to be a bit lacking in its usual full flavor, too.

Three totally different products. Hmmm . . .

> Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months? Maybe we just got some bad
> batches out here in CA.

Have you noticed any other food products that have changed in the last few months? If so, the
problem might be with you rather than the food. You may have a brain tumor.

"John Gaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> notbob wrote:
> > Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months? Maybe we just got some bad
> > batches out here in CA.
>
> Make a note of the code on the can. It tells when and where the can was produce. Tell Del Monte
> about it! It probably is an honest mistake and I am sure they will want to correct it.
>
> http://www.delmonte.com/Contact.asp
>

Exactly. Most of those companies are eager to make it up to you. I got 2 boxes of shredded wheat
from Nabisco once.

Jack Refund

"Mark Thorson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> notbob wrote:
>
> > In one case, their sweet relish (I'll tolerate no other) was so bad I had to return it to the
> > store. Not only was it vile tasting, but it was gray, like the glass jars had been sitting in
> > the sun for a long time. Another jar, from another store, seemed to taste ok initially, but went
> > bad in just a few weeks in the fridge. Last night I opened a new jar of pickled beets. The
> > classic DM pickling brine was definitely "off". It just wasn't the same. And, now that I think
> > about it, their tomato sauce seems to be a bit lacking in its usual full flavor, too.
>
> Three totally different products. Hmmm . . .
>
> > Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months? Maybe we just got some bad
> > batches out here in CA.
>
> Have you noticed any other food products that have changed in the last few months? If so, the
> problem might be with you rather than the food. You may have a brain tumor.
>

One of my co-workers and collegues passed away as a result of a brain tumor this Monday evening. The
prior Wednesday he seemed fine.

Sorry if I didn't see the humor in your joke

On 2004-01-24, Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:

> Have you noticed any other food products that have changed in the last few months? If so, the
> problem might be with you rather than the food. You may have a brain tumor.

Nope. Just those 3. I bought DM's whole sweet pickles and they were perfect.

nb

On 2004-01-24, Jack Schidt® <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Exactly. Most of those companies are eager to make it up to you. I got 2 boxes of shredded wheat
> from Nabisco once.

Yeah, I called them about a month ago. The cust/serv person didn't sound much like she gave a damn,
but said she'd send me a coupon for another jar. Still waiting.

nb

WiScottsin wrote:
> One of my co-workers and collegues passed away as a result of a brain tumor this Monday evening.
> The prior Wednesday he seemed fine.

One of my friends and coworkers is recoving from several brain infections. Luckily he didn't have
cancer, but it's still going to take a while to recover fully.

The moral of the story: if you have bronchitis and the flu, do something about it *before*
it spreads.

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/
[email protected]

WiScottsin wrote:

> Sorry if I didn't see the humor in your joke

It wasn't a joke, troll.

agnosia: (ag no´ zee ah) Loss of ability to recognize objects, people, sounds, shapes, or smells.
Usually classified according to the sense or senses affected (hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch).
Symptom common to tumors of the parietal lobe of the cerebral hemispheres.

Quoted from: http://www3.mdanderson.org/centers/neuro/infopat/dict-a.htm

notbob <[email protected]> wrote in
news:YDmQb.108251$sv6.541049@attbi_s52:

> On 2004-01-24, Jack Schidt® <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Exactly. Most of those companies are eager to make it up to you. I got 2 boxes of shredded wheat
>> from Nabisco once.
>
> Yeah, I called them about a month ago. The cust/serv person didn't sound much like she gave a
> damn, but said she'd send me a coupon for another jar. Still waiting.
>
> nb
>

I think many companies handled their PR much differently years ago. When I was a kid we discovered a
worm in a can of cream-style corn. We wrote a letter, enclosing the imprinted bottom of the can and
the well-wrapped worm. We were placated in short order with an entire case of assorted products.

Wayne

>Mark Thorson opined:
>
>notbob wrote:
>
>> Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months?
>
>the problem might be with you rather than the food. You may have a brain tumor.

But wouldn't a requisite be possessing a brain?

---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon
```````````` "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

On 2004-01-24, PENMART01 <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> But wouldn't a requisite be possessing a brain?

...and you'd still be outmatched.

nb

Mark Thorson wrote:

> Have you noticed any other food products that have changed in the last few months? If so, the
> problem might be with you rather than the food. You may have a brain tumor.

I know liver problems can sometimes affect tastes and smells sometimes. Goomba

WiScottsin wrote:

>
>
> One of my co-workers and collegues passed away as a result of a brain tumor this Monday evening.
> The prior Wednesday he seemed fine.
>
> Sorry if I didn't see the humor in your joke

What makes you think he was joking? It can certainly be a subtle sign of problems. Goomba

notbob <[email protected]> wrote:

> Has anyone else noticed a change in DM products the last few months? Maybe we just got some bad
> batches out here in CA.

No. I use Delmonte products fairly frequently and I have not noticed any change. Of course, it might
depend on which products you use. I just polished off a can of yellow can with dinner. Not as good
as fresh corn, but than again, the "fresh corn" here in NJ is out of season and not all that
appealing either so canned is a good alternative.

Just a few days ago, I had a craving for that string bean casserole with the Durkee fried onions and
condensed mushroom soup so I made up a batch of it. I just finished it last night and it was still
good. I used two cans of Delmonte French style string beans for that dish.

My biggest gripe about Delmonte is from an investor's point of view. A little over a year ago, I
became owner of a few common shares of Delmonte stock. These shares came into my posession when
Delmonte was bought out by Heinz. The stock went down in value shortly after my brokerage account
received the stock and its stagnated ever since. I would sell my Delmonte shares, but it would cost
me almost as much to sell the shares as they are worth so I just hold onto them figuring that they
might eventually go up in value, but I am not holding my breath. I guess this means I might have a
pro-Delmonte bias. Oh well. Such is life.

[email protected] wrote:
> My biggest gripe about Delmonte is from an investor's point of view. A little over a year ago, I
> became owner of a few common shares of Delmonte stock. These shares came into my posession when
> Delmonte was bought out by Heinz. The stock went down in value shortly after my brokerage account
> received the stock and its stagnated ever since. I would sell my Delmonte shares, but it would
> cost me almost as much to sell the shares as they are worth so I just hold onto them figuring that
> they might eventually go up in value, but I am not holding my breath. I guess this means I might
> have a pro-Delmonte bias. Oh well. Such is life.
>

DLM? It's currently trading near its 52 week high at about 10.7, up about 50% in the past year;
down from the all-time high of about 16 back in 1999. If you have more than 2 shares, you should
at least get enough money after commission it to buy some good beer. That's a lot better than
some of my losers from 1999. I had to actually pay to get rid of my Worldcom stock so I could
write off the loss.

I own *Fresh* Del Monte stock (FDP); growers of those great yellow pineapples. FDP hasn't done much
either (but it's set up nice for a possible short squeeze), but it pays a good dividend and I like
the pineapples.

Best regards, Bob

About 4yrs ago my grondmother got an off tub of yoghurt. She called the customer care line on the
side of the tub. They asked her to package the tub up somehow and send it to them - with
remaining contents.

The day she went to the post office to send it, was the day she also received a letter from the
company - apologising, and offering her 6months supply of all the parent company's products. I think
that parent company is someone like Nestle or another giant. Saved her a few hundred (thousand??)
dollars for a couple of dollar tub of yoghurt that the company hadn't even verified was off yet!

In the end they called her and explained what the testing had shown - the product had too much of
one of the additives in it, giving the bad taste.

I don't think I had anything DM that was off, but I just switched grocery stores because 8-10 items
over two months went REALLY bad prior to their sell-by dates. (Ricotta Cheese, Yogurt, 2 brands of
ice cream, Crest White Strips (rotten, I tell ya!) and a few other things.) I didn't blame any of
the brands, since it seemed to be the store. It was weird though, I shopped there since 1998 I
think. Oh some pork was bad too, and some lunch meat. But I didn't have any problems with milk or
other refr./frozen foods! Tara