The surprising reason why Ocean Spray cranberry sauce labels are upside-down

According to Ocean Spray, it is intentional: It creates a seamless serving experience.

ByJordan Valinsky, CNNWire
Thursday, November 16, 2023
The reason why Ocean Spray cranberry sauce labels are upside-down
The process has been in use since the early 2000s.

Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries of Thanksgiving is the cranberry sauce - and we're not even talking about why people eat it: What's the deal with the upside-down labels on Ocean Spray cans of the stuff?

Observant consumers have noticed that the Ocean Spray labels on jellied cranberry sauce cans are flipped, meaning the rounded edge that's typically on the bottom of most canned goods is on top of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce cans.

According to Ocean Spray, that's intentional: It creates a seamless serving experience.

The cans are "filled and labeled upside down with the rounded edge on top and the sharp can-like edge on the bottom to keep the jelly whole," an Ocean Spray spokesperson told CNN Business. "That creates an air bubble on the rounded side (a.k.a. the top) so customers can "swipe the edge of the can with a knife to break the vacuum and the log will easily slide out."

This process has been in use since the early 2000s.

--CNN Business' Danielle Wiener-Bronner contributed to this report.