UBC July 2024 - The Supermarket Experience

Photo by gemma on Unsplash

Welcome back to July's UBC. This month I'm going to be talking about cultural differences between Switzerland and the USA.

Today's topic is the Supermarket Experience

While I can't distinctly remember my very first supermarket experience, I have an overall recollection of the first few times I stepped into I don't even know what it may have been. Nothing too large, so not a Walmart or Costco. Maybe a Vons, Safeway or Albertson's. Something in California in any case.

I felt like a kid in a candy store. 

I always liked to shop, and it was this feeling of "oh my goodness, I have arrived!"

The choice, the display, the variety! The land of milk and honey!

I looked at anything and everything. I was fascinated by the level of convenience offered to customers: Vegetable platters, everything washed, cut and beautifully arranged. Everything that prevents you from buying vegetables is removed. 

I don't know how many times we purchased said veggie assortments and a container full of ranch dip and a pack of Ritz peanut butter crackers, all of which you can't buy in Switzerland. We would then feed each other in the car on our road trips. 

I thought if I grew up knowing Varieties from Kellogg's, I knew all the varieties. I mean Frosties, Smacks, Rice Crispies, Corn Pops,...

Think again, girl! U.S. supermarkets have an entire breakfast cereal aisle! 

In all honesty I wasn't a fan of many products I only bought because they came in a nice packaging. The highly processed brownie products, for example. I soon learned that there are other places that offer home-made-like brownies, yum!

After spending an hour or more at a supermarket, I'd make it to the cash register at some point, where I was in for more surprises. The cashier would apply discount coupons they kept at the counter. That would not happen in Switzerland. If you were too lazy to clip and collect them yourself, you weren't worthy of redeeming them. 

Then the packing! There was an actual person waiting to pack my groceries! People from the U.S. have the hardest time in Switzerland trying to pack their stuff as the cashier scans the items. If you have a large amount of items it can get really stressful. You're supposed to pack and pay for your stuff at the same time.  While you are still frantically packing, the next customer's purchases are already sliding down the conveyor belt into the area from where you are supposed to remove your stuff. 

So in the U.S. you're leaving with your shopping cart full of baggies, and you go to your car. I am pretty sure I have seen clerks who were assisting the customers in loading the groceries into their cars. Then they took the empty cart back.

About the cart in Switzerland... In the olden days shopping carts were made available to customers, who would usually return them. Except a few lazy people. Enough for the retail managers to take countermeasures. Devices were attached to the trolleys: a coin box and a chain. From then on, the customer had to insert a franc (a dollar), then the chain, which was connected to the front shopping cart, could be released. 

Only those who returned the trolley got their coin back. You might think that the rich Swiss don't give a damn about one franc, but that's not the case. The trolleys are dutifully returned! 

These days people don't like to carry around a lot of cash, let alone, coins. That's where "fake coins" come in: 

Businesses usually give them away as promotional gifts, and people keep them at their keychains. 

I just came across the statement of a lady who feels strongly about not returning her cart because she fears for her and her kids' safety. I don't buy her arguments, and it makes me wonder what other everyday situations she handles differently than the rest of us ;-)

What I can say for the products in Swiss / Euorpean grocery stores: They are usually of good quality. Our equivalent of the FDA has high standards and won't allow a lot of "ingredients" like 

Azo dyes: These artificial colors, such as tartrazine (E102) and sunset yellow (E110), are highly regulated or banned in Switzerland, while they are widely used in the United States. Some people may have an allergic reaction to azo dyes, which can lead to skin rashes, itching and other allergic symptoms.

Studies have shown that the consumption of certain azo dyes can be associated with increased hyperactivity and attention deficits in children. Some azo dyes can be converted into carcinogenic amines in the body. These amines are potentially carcinogenic and have been linked to tumor formation in animal studies.

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO): This is often used in beverages in the US to stabilize flavors, but is banned in Switzerland. High intake of BVO can lead to an accumulation of bromine in the body, which can result in symptoms such as skin rashes, headaches, memory impairment, fatigue and neurological disorders.

Potassium bromate: A dough treatment agent used in bread making is banned in Switzerland as it is considered carcinogenic, but is still permitted in the US. Potassium bromate is classified as potentially carcinogenic. Animal studies have shown that it can cause tumors in various organs, including the kidney, thyroid and gastrointestinal tract. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified potassium bromate as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B).

Studies have also shown that potassium bromate can cause DNA damage, which further increases the risk of cancer.

Ractopamine: A veterinary drug that promotes muscle growth is banned in Switzerland but permitted in the USA and is often used in pork and beef production. Ractopamine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, both in animals and in humans who eat the meat.  Meat with ractopamine residues can cause side effects such as headaches, nausea and tremors in sensitive individuals.

Olestra: A fat substitute used in low-fat foods is banned in Switzerland but permitted in the USA. It can cause digestive problems and inhibit the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and carotenoids. 

BHA and BHT (butylhydroxyanisole and butylhydroxytoluene): These preservatives are restricted in Switzerland, while they are widely used in foods in the US. Both substances can act as endocrine disruptors, which means that they can influence the hormone system. This can lead to developmental and reproductive problems. Some studies suggest that BHA and BHT may affect behavior, especially in children. There is evidence that these additives may be associated with hyperactivity and other behavioral disorders. In addition, animal studies have shown signs of carcinogenic effects.

Diphenylamine (DPA): Sprayed on apples after harvest to preserve the skins. Banned in Switzerland, but permitted in the USA. Unfortunately it has c arcinogenic potential as well. Some studies have shown that DPA can form carcinogenic compounds when it decomposes. These degradation products, especially nitrosamines, are classified as potentially carcinogenic. In high doses, DPA can be toxic and cause liver damage. 

I am not a scientist, but if I have the luxury of buying and eating food that comes without these potentially harming substances, I will gladly!

How / where are you getting your groceries? (And more importantly, will you return the cart...)