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Hoshizaki

Ice machine maker's Made in the USA claims are put on thin ice.

Ice machine maker Hoshizaki is up on the latest trends in ice, proclaiming in the YouTube video above:

Ice is no longer one size fits all. The latest trends show operators are demanding a variety of ice to meet each site application. Perhaps it’s the cube ice for beverages, or flaked ice for seafood displays. It’s important to know which type of ice is just right.

Hoshizaki is also hip to the latest trends in advertising, and up until recently marketed its products in such a way that suggested or implied that all are Made in the USA (a major selling point for consumers), even though many incorporate significant imported content and a handful are even entirely made overseas, according to the FTC.

The agency’s Made in the USA standard calls for items marketed with an unqualified Made in the USA claim to be “all or virtually all” made here. Anything less and the product or line of products cannot legally bear the claim.

After the FTC opened an inquiry into Hoshizaki’s Made in the USA marketing — putting the ice machine maker on the rocks, so to speak — the company, among other things, removed the problematic U.S.-origin claims from its marketing materials and informed distributors about the changes. Based on the company’s actions, the FTC closed out its inquiry.

Find more of our coverage on Made in the USA claims here.


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