End of phosphated Blanca Nieves

[jamiel]

Shoot! Looks like Super K-Mart has converted all their mexican detergents to non-phosphate. First, it was Save-A-Lot which had Foca...then, it was discontinued in favor of the no-phosphate. Then, Super K-Mart still had the phosphated Foca, along with phosphated Blanca Nieves and no-phosphate Ariel...then slowly the phosphated Foca sold out. Today, I got the last 3 bags of phosphated BN...that doctored with a bit of enzyme is a very good detergent...the remainder of the bags were no-phosphate. Fraid I don't see much point in the Mexican off-brand detergents without phosphates...can't believe they'd do better than comparable US detergents (comparable--same presence/absence of enzymes). Last time I went to Mexicantown they still had phosphated offerings...I should be in good shape for a while, though

 

[launderess]

Mexican Detergent Producers

Whose products contain phosphates have been in the cross hairs of tree huggers for along time now. It was one of the reasons P&G brought out a non-STPP version of Ariel.

The Hispanic market is vast and growing but it is one that prefers products that they know from their home countries, hence all the Foca, Ariel, Blanca Nieves, and other Spanish laundry soaps and detergents showing up all over the United States.

For their part P&G and other producers claimed they didn't directly sell such products to US stores via their distribution systems so shouldn't be held accountable. That didn't sit well with the tree huggers who have kept at stores and anyone else they could drag into the media and or court over selling phosphated detergent where it's illegal.

Now that so many states have moved to a total phosphate ban in both laundry and automatic dishwashing products it probably doesn't make sense to keep fighting. If the United States cannot keep illegal drugs from it's borders that doesn't say much about stopping the flow of llict products.

 

[stan]

Jamie

I've been noticing the same! Got the last couple of small bags of Foca (phosphated) from a small nearby Mexican Market.
I'm curious.. what enzymes were you doctoring with?

The Mexican detergent Viva, has enzymes in it, you might still be able to find the phosphated version of it. It' a lot like Foca (mild scent)

 

[jamiel]

Since the Blanca Nieves doesn't have any enzymes, I just add some Biz (from Big Lots) if it's a tough load.

 

[vacuumguy99]

I'm not sure if the current blanca nieves still has phosphate but under the current ingredients listed by google and every major store that I've looked at sodium phosphate is listed as a water softener. non phosphate version is probably easier to buy at a store but even walmart has phosphate laden BN listed online for $3.42 a bag,not bad considering you can have it shipped to your local store for free, if it does have phosphate.

 

[vacerator]

Phosphates were

banned here in like 1970. No one recalls all the foamy streams and algea over procutcion?

 

[washman]

I like phosphates.

 

[vacuumguy99]

vacerator the detergent is made for the Mexican market and they have either no or very loose phosphate restrictions. the american companies don't make any detergent with phosphates, what is happening is Mexican detergent is getting imported into the states. The foamy rivers and algae bloom you are referring to where not caused by the presents of the phosphate because there are phosphate in nature but the large quantities of phosphate from every man,woman,and child using phosphate to clean everything from clothing to dishes. even if every single person on autowasher used phosphates there would still not be the quantity of phosphate needed to cause problems like where present at that time.

Washman your post made me laugh a little to hard lol

 

[vacerator]

I knew it was for the Mexican market

I was curious why it found it's way to K Mart stateside.
I suppose we could truck some phosphates and load up the Conequensing creek Ben,
but better hurry up.
The first 30 days in isn't going so great.
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[launderess]

Wasn't just K-mart

But many other stores that had good to large sized local Hispanic customer base began selling various Mexican detergents loaded with phosphates. Our K-mart here in NYC had them, but so did bodegas and other supermarket/shops as well.

Fuss started when tree-huggers spotted these phosphate laden products in places where bans on such things long existed. Oregon and other such places comes to mind. They promptly not only complained to store owners (which got them usually no where), but got local elected officials and or federal government involved.

In the end pressure was put on P&G (Ariel from Mexico was one of the STPP laden detergents IIRC), and other makers of these phosphate laden detergents to clean up their act and cease cross border sales. Companies responded that they themselves were *NOT* directly selling such products to USA market, but it was the work of third party resellers/exporters.

In the end you know what happened; to settle the entire mess P&G and other makers simply removed phosphates. This was the "win-win" solution. Mexican consumers could still find their "taste of home" laundry products, and places with phosphate bans were no longer bothered.

P&G has since gone onto remove phosphates from all detergents worldwide, so that is the end of that.