In-flight snacks are (not) for the birds

On my last flight from SEA to SFO passengers were served snacks and free soft drinks. Beer and Wine 5 bucks. It was one of these uneventful flights and I had used up all the battery juice of my laptop at the customer presentation and waiting at the airport, my science fiction novel is totally stupid - they talk about mobile computers that must have at least 1024-bit processors - and my iPod is no real fun these days. So I took the snacks and a diet Ginger Ale. Foreigner's question: Why do they call this stuff ale? It was the only free drink which reminded me of beer or ale. Bored as I was, I took a look at my snack bag. Fisher Ranch SNACK MIX. Red outside, 14g or 5 OZ content. Flipping the bag around I read the back:  No expiration date. Suspicious. For NUTRITION INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. Finest Quality NUT MEATS, SNACKS & FOODS.

Oh well and then I took a look at the fine print:
"Ingredients: Cheddar Fetti: Bleched enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour...), reduced iron, Thiamine mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), folic acid, hydrogenated soybean oil, Cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), ... colored with Annatto, natural flavor, sugar, Sodium bicarbonate (leavening), yeast extract, ... acid, Paprika, Lactic acid, spices, onion powder, garlic powder; Pretzels: Enriched flour (... Malted Barley, Niacin, reduced iron, ..." It goes on and on until the zesty finale: "modified cornstarch, silicon dioxide, tricalcium phosphate, malic ... lactose, natural flavoring, gum acacia.

Next time I pay the 5 bucks and have a healthy European Heineken. LOL.