Here's a sad one. You can tell that the TSO's have had a go at the beer and cider makers.

Where as it used you say "1 Pint" with 568ml in small writing underneath the cans now say "1 pint for 99p" with 568 ml in small print beneath!

Totally pathetic that the beer companies had to look for a loophole so that they could sell one pint cans!

Sorry, I don't understand.

They are not allowed to put "one pint" in preference to metric if it looks like they are quoting the amount.

Thus changing it into a "nice little sentence" gets around that little rule!

Two other recent examples:

(1) "A Foot of Fudge", by the makers of Kendal Mint Cake - 227g

and

(2) "A Yard of Chocolate" by Cadburys - 454g.


Both unfortunately just one-off marketing exercises

OK, but it seems a little strange.

Are there any rules governing trade descriptions like this?

Do you suggest a policeman in every shop to guard for

1) Al Qaeeda suspects buying vegatable oil
2) Members of the public who say "inch", "foot" etc

You obviously misunderstand. What is the rule that exists which prohibits "one pint" as a primary indication on a can?

BWMA could probably handle this one better than me but I think it's to do with packaged goods where either no imperial shall be used or else the exact height of the letters of "pint" must be smaller than the height of the letters "ml" - pretty pathetic really, I mean can you imagine a member of HM gov workers sitting there with a ruller measuring down to the nearest thou' (sorry, um!)

BTW - my message up there was tinged with humour (well you can either laugh or cry these days can't you!)

BWMA: Can you assist with the "serious" question? What actual rule is it that forbids maufacturers from displaying "One pint" in prominance to 568ml?

As I said earlier, I don't think there is one.

I did appreciate your 'joke', sort of.

It is one or other subsection in the 1994 regulations that says that supplementary indications must be no bigger than metric units.

On shelfmarks connected with unit pricing yes, but a trade description on a can?

Unit pricing on shelf edges is governed (if I recall correctly) by the 1974 Price Marking Orders, while quantities on packaging by the 1985 Weights and Measures Act.

...and tesco still put price per pint under the prices of drinks that we traditionally drink in pints.
I suspect other stores can't be bothered and leave the customer scratching his head when he/she's trying to see if he's getting a good deal from how much his/her drink costs per litre.

Shop at Tesco, that's what I say!

Sorry to be pedantic, but the 1985 Act applies only to units 'in use for trade', which would not include descriptions such as this one. As far as I can tell they are not regulated by legislation.

.....whoooosh.....

(back to BWMA on this one)

The 1985 Act governs what units may be used for unit pricing (eg grams, pounds). The 1974 Price Marking Order governs the quantity of units (eg 100g, not 117g, 1 lb, not 0.9 lb).

I am fairly certain that the 1985 covers packaged foods and goods as well, but I may be mistaken.

Certainly specific named goods, but not goods in general. I don't think beer cans are amongst the goods which are regulated by the orders, but I too could be mistaken.