You would think, with increasing concerns about 91原创s鈥� obesity and the dramatic rise in Type 2 diabetes, that the food industry would, to some degree, cater to this special market.
Not so our dairy cartel. Despite the fact that seven per cent of 91原创s are diabetic, rising to 20 per cent among the elderly, competitively packaged and priced sugar-free ice cream is, sadly, no longer available.
Until recently, only Agropur, out of our three-member dairy monopoly, produced a sugar-free or 鈥渘o sugar added鈥� vanilla ice cream in a competitive 1.65-litre tub 鈥� one of 42 flavours on offer.
Last year, this became increasingly hard to find on freezer shelves, with stores saying they were unable to get the volumes they had ordered. Finally, supply stopped completely. An Agropur representative said the product had been discontinued because of 鈥渓ow demand.鈥�
It seems to me that this 鈥渇lavour鈥� might well still be provided were this a freely competitive dairy market. Someone would fill demand. The cartel, of course, tunes its production for maximum profit, needing have no regard for its customer base. After all, where are we going to go? Australia? The United States? Not likely.
So, while many younger dairy customers fume mostly at having to pay prohibitive amounts for their children鈥檚 milk, us old folks now can鈥檛 get the product at all. Monopolies are a wonderful thing 鈥� for their millionaire owners.
Not so good for this old treat-less diabetic.
George Manning
Victoria
