When Labels Are Legal but Trust Is Not: The Packaging Debate That Reaches Beyond the Spice Aisle
What unfolded between McCormick and Watkins is more than a dispute over seasoning—it is a clear snapshot of a much larger tension between what is technically legal and what consumers instinctively experience as fair. At the center of the debate is a familiar defense from McCormick: the weight is clearly stated, the labeling meets regulatory standards, and oversight agencies have raised no objections. By the letter of the law, the company argues, nothing improper has occurred. Yet legality does not…