Export Quality?

When browsing through Filipino foods in the supermarket, I always notice the products that say "export quality" on them. There it is, like a seal of approval, designed to catch your eye.

Export Quality!

I haven't seen products from other countries with the same kind of label... they always seem to come from the Philippines.

What is "export quality" anyway?

Does this mean that items that aren't stamped with the 'Export Quality' seal of approval aren't fit for consumption outside of the Philippines?

Sadly, that is partly true. There are some companies that sell off-quality products in the Philippines, products that quite frankly, are truly not for export! It doesn't mean that you will get sick if you eat it... it means that it may have failed to reach the stricter quality standards of other countries and/or companies. I don't know why the Philippines might have lower quality standards... maybe our stomachs are stronger because of everything else that we eat and drink?

However, manufacturers are not the only ones to blame. There is a Filipino mentality that "if something is imported, it must be of better quality" prevails. In the same vein, Filipinos think that "if something is good enough for foreigners to wear/eat/drink/etc, it must be better than local items". Some companies simply use 'export quality' to try to elevate the status of the product as on a higher level than their local competitors.

I admit, I sometimes get taken in by this. If faced with two competing products, one self-proclaiming 'export-quality' and the other one not, I will more often than not buy the 'export-quality' product, even if it is a little bit more expensive.

Whether or not a product is indeed of higher quality, or is just a marketing tactic, be wary of "export quality" because in truth, it really means nothing at all...