"Lignin-free" boxes

now, another uninteresting Q--spot testing materials. Big Thrill eh?
anyway, i was testing some storage boxes for the MSS Dept and I called
[[Name Deleted at Jan's Request]] for a sample box that their catalog
says has no lignin.  anyway, it arrived, and lo and behold, when i
peeled the layers apart the core tested positive for groundwood
(phluoroglucinol).

so i called the company to be sure that i hadn't read the catalog wrong
or that they hadn't sent me an old sample, etc, etc.  so the guy in the
office said he'd have the owner call, later the guy called back and told
me that the owner said it was easy to get false readings with phlourog..
and that they would have their paper chemist call me. needless to say he
hasn't called.  as far as i understand it, the test shows groundwood, by
definition containing lignin.  its not reading falsely on any of the
other papers or boxes, or on their outer paper layers.  IS there
something that i've missed conceptually here.  i am trying to reserve
judgement, and assume that i may be wrong, but i tried it out on a paper
conservator friend and she couldn't think of anything else it would be
showing either. mostly i'm getting all bent (in my true 60's fashion)
about false advertising, poor little historical society victims, and
Ralph Nader.  so tell me whenry, have i jumped to conclusions too
quickly here or not?.

                                  ***
                   Conservation DistList Instance 2:8
                 Distributed: Sunday, December 11, 1988
                        Message Id: cdl-2-8-003
                                  ***