The product (sea salt) in the 17 oz. pkge., purchased 1/21/11 at Peachtree Battle Publix supermarket, Atlanta, GA is not the relevant issue in this report. Rather, it is the plastic top of the container.

The product model is Morton's Coarse Sea Salt, packed in the 17.6 oz. tube, apparently made of plastic or plasticized paper, black on top and blue on the bottom. Number stamped on bottom is LA 101100319.

The 'flaps' should be softer, so as to facilitate easy piercing. Instead, they are as brittle as the entire top of the container. In attempting to pierce the flaps, the surrounding plastic cracks.