If you’ve never really taken a good look at the label on a jar of pickles, you’re not alone. Apparently, a good many people don’t realize that the word “pickle” won’t be found anywhere on the jar. That includes Claussen, Mt. Olive, and Vlasic brand pickles. According to most major companies, it comes down to effective use of space on the label. Vlasic says they use the limited label space to clearly communicate the form and flavor of the pickles inside each jar. That way, consumers can easily find their favorite variety — dill chips, bread and butter chips, kosher spears, etc. There are some notable exceptions, of course. Unlike most of Vlasic’s other pickled cucumber varieties, the company produces a line of “Purely Pickles” — products touted as has having no artificial flavors, preservatives or colors — and the words “Purely Pickles” is clearly visible on the label. Mt. OIive, too, produces a similar line referred to as “Simply Pickles.” Despite avoiding the word “pickle” on most of their labels, Vlasic, Claussen and Mt. Olive all use the term on their websites, in advertisements, and in the product descriptions of their pickle varieties. So relax, you don’t need to see the word "pickles" on the label to know what’s in the jar.
