Truth in Advertising

[ChrisGreaves]

So I bought a small carton of cream last week, for my coffee.

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The carton bears the figure “5%”, by which I infer that 5% of the contents, by weight or by volume, are considered “fat” – the stuff that packs calories, clogs the arteries etc. etc.

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Here’s the fine print on the same face of the carton; I infer that the contents contain 33% less fat than the comparable 10% version of this company’s product.
I’m having trouble here reconciling the mathematics of this whole deal.
I’m aware that if you have, say, 300g of fat and remove one-third of that (100g) then what you’ve removed (100g) is 50% of what you have left (200g).
But if you lower the fat content from 10% to 5%, say from 300g to 150g, then surely that is 50% less fat.
Or have the producers managed to confuse me, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Downes, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Broome and Mr. Feld(*), to say nothing of my university professors?

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FWIW here is the mandatory guff from the side panel.
I know, I know: why don’t I go out and buy a 10% carton and compare the Nutrition Facts.
(*) My primary and secondary school teachers, of whom Mr. Brian Feld stands out.

[Rus]

Does it matter?
Not to me, so long as it tastes good. :)

[Bowlie]

Er, Chris. Why don't you turn the package around and read it in good old Canajun English? It might give a few clews.

What is M.G. supposed to mean?

[HansV]

M.G. = Matière Grasse = fat content.

[John Gray]

Chris - you do realise that the Saint Leger is a UK horse race?

Which makes the contents of your milk carton even more dubious...

[viking33]

M.G. = Matière Grasse = fat content.

Or more gooder?
As BigAlDoc would have said in his best Noo Yawkerese dialect!