Came across this interesting weight on a Danish tin of "Wonderful COPENHAGEN Butter Cookies" Going by the choice of "cookies to describe biscuits, it seems to aim for the US market. Its net weight is given in 8 languages as 16 oz (1lb), 450 g. While only marginally (3.6 g) off one pound it would be interesting to know what its real weight is. If it is 450 g no problem for Europeans, but a slight short sell for Yanks. Maybe US law allows these small tolerances? Anyone able to find out?

This would confirm Daniels contention that pounds eventually become 450 or 500 g.

Under US law, the larger net contents claim (based on the official conversions) will be tested for compliance, and the smaller claim ignored. In the detailed FDA rules for FPLA compliance, producers are specifically cautioned about rounding up. If they round up, they MUST meet the rounded claim.

I can't find any detailed rules on how much one can underclaim contents (round down). I think they assume producer's avarice will limit that.

The rules for actually testing the contents claim on an average basis are too complex to bother with, but the average must equal or exceed the claim, and nothing can be more than x% under (might be one half percent, not sure).

In the US, it would be more common to see 453 g as the metric claim.

JS
The rules for actually testing the contents claim on an average basis are too complex to bother with, but the average must equal or exceed the claim, and nothing can be more than x% under (might be one half percent, not sure).

In the US, it would be more common to see 453 g as the metric claim.

metre
I presume 0.4536 g would be the real weight and metric buyers are getting a bonus since nobody challenges that kind of extras.

If he only knew metric he'd know quite how absurd the differences are.

Perhaps old eric is actually a hamster?

Wonder what mouse he uses?

Is the 16 oz declaration first in all 8 languages? I would have thought that would be a problem in Europe. Does a "supplemental" indication have to follow the primary indication (metric) in the EU?

In the US, either may be stated first, as the larger claim takes precedence for compliance,

It is common to see both 453 g and 454 g in the US after the 1 lb label. I think it is quite arbitrary, as no one would complain about getting cheated of 0.4 g. I think this value is also within the tolerance of 1/2 of 1%, or whatever the value is.

A true metric pound exists in China. The jin is exactly 500g. Most people relate to jin, though going to kg is obviously very easy. At the market, for instance, most of the pricing will be displayed per kg, but people will order by jin. A bit similar to some European countries where the decagrams were used. You could price it all by kg, but people would ask for x decagrams of it.

The metric pound (500g) exists in everyday langauge in many Continental countries (pond (NL), livre(FR), pfund(DE) ). UNtil abuot 1980 it was also a legal unit of measure - in fact in pre-unification Germany (mid-nineteenth century), the German Customs Union (Zollverein) used the zollpfund (customs union pound) of 500g.

<<A true metric pound exists in China. The jin is exactly 500g. Most people relate to jin, though going to kg is obviously very easy>>

OH MY GOD!

Can you imagine it? If our pound was that way we'd have nothing to argue about!

;-)

Re: Metric pound September 1 2005, 4:52 AM
TAlien
A true metric pound exists in China. The jin is exactly 500g. Most people relate to jin, though going to kg is obviously very easy. At the market, for instance, most of the pricing will be displayed per kg, but people will order by jin. A bit similar to some European countries where the decagrams were used. You could price it all by kg, but people would ask for x decagrams of it.

metre
China is not alone; France and Germany use 500 g pounds. Just shows people’s habit is to hang on to names not quantities. Maybe this answers the questions about pints.

Re: Metric pound August 31 2005, 4:19 PM

Anon
Is the 16 oz declaration first in all 8 languages? I would have thought that would be a problem in Europe. Does a "supplemental" indication have to follow the primary indication (metric) in the EU?

In the US, either may be stated first, as the larger claim takes precedence for compliance,


metre
Yes, a string of languages refers to 16 oz (1 lb) followed by 450 g. My contention is that Europeans don't give a hoot about outlandish measurements, but consider approximation to proper metric quantities more important.

<<
Is the 16 oz declaration first in all 8 languages? I would have thought that would be a problem in Europe. Does a "supplemental" indication have to follow the primary indication (metric) in the EU?
>>

The EU regulations are that metric must be the more prominent indicator and that anything else is a supplemental indicator. After 31-Dec-2009 supplemental indicators will not be permitted.

Re: Metric pound September 1 2005, 2:58 PM


Martin
The EU regulations are that metric must be the more prominent indicator and that anything else is a supplemental indicator. After 31-Dec-2009 supplemental indicators will not be permitted

metre
In that case this company contravenes the law since its product is sold within the union as well. Mind you the biscuits lovely taste is not impaired for this heinous anomaly.

I can see why Bryan left