Thread by @c_borstell

Is there any work on milk carton color #iconicity? I read a discussion online with Swedes disagreeing about the use of the word "rödmjölk" 'red milk' to mean '3% milk', because not all milk producers use the same color coding...

Most of them seem to use a ❤️💚💙💛 palette, but with different meanings. What I believe are the 5 largest milk companies in Sweden have (3%, 1.5%, 0.5%, 0.1%):
Arla: ❤️💚💙💛
Norrmejerier: 💚❤️💛❎
Skånemejerier: 🧡💙❤️💛
Milko: ❤️💚💙❎
Falköpings: ❤️💚💙💛

So, I grew up with Arla, sometimes Milko when visiting family, both representing the middle parts of Sweden, so for me "red milk" is definitely full fat. But apparently northern- and southern-most Swedes disagree since it doesn't map to their main suppliers.

If you have a yellow one, that seems to map onto the one lowest in fat. Is this just the Berlin & Kay hierarchy but wrr milk fat markedness and/or order of product introduction?

Is the ❤️➡️💚➡️💙➡️💛 sequence more universal in color coding? The chronological order of Stockholm subway lines is 💚❤️💙💛, with yellow being planned still.

Like, is color coding for fat content even a general thing? I'm checking the Dutch ones and it seems they are basically all 💙 or 💙+💚, relying on labels to differentiate. Much easier to have them color coded! As long as you know the system, I guess 🤔

Also, the names in Swedish are:
mjölk 'milk' = 3%
mellanmjölk 'middle milk' = 1.5%
lättmjölk 'light milk' = 0.5%
minimjölk 'mini milk' = 0.1%

But in my family (and many others afaik), mellanmjölk is the default, referred to as just "mjölk", so "röd mjölk" was used to specify 3%.