Supermarket Weights and Measures Trickery - as eggs are surely eggs?

2sides2everystory

shaun wrote:

Provided it is within a certain weight range then A large egg is a large egg irrespective of whether it is 20mm or 30mm in diameter.

It may be so in developed countries in Africa, but is it in the UK? Where do you get that from?

I do rather think there might be more to this egg buying lark than believing something safeguards the value of your expectation if the label says S, M or L or XL or Jumbo or dare I say buying them mixed which is probably an activity closer to the M in S&M than any of the others

For a start Forwandert, mightn't we assume that the diameter of an egg is both proportional to the cube root of the volume (as I have said) AND the cube root of its weight? Or do eggs on sale vary significantly in density?

Well pmduk, if you buy your eggs mixed like that then good luck to you - you might need it! Don't you think that mixed eggs should be sold by the kilo at least? Or maybe you feel lucky, well do yer ?

pitkin do stop being so flippin' blinkered. I worked on a farm and spent time in chicken houses probably long before you became a twinkle. I am not arguing for all eggs to be exactly the same size, just for standard grading and sizing to be returned to the UK market so we know what the hell we are buying without having to open half the boxes to look inside and compare them with the next box.

StaffieTerrier

2sides2everystory wrote: »

And DCFC, No. The answer is that supermarkets should start respecting the law instead of constantly bending it and disrespecting their customers.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely it's the manufacturers, not the supermarkets, that determine the size and RRP of a product (unless they're own brand).

pitkin2020

2sides2everystory wrote: »

It may be so in developed countries in Africa, but is it in the UK? Where do you get that from?

I do rather think there might be more to this egg buying lark than believing something safeguards the value of your expectation if the label says S, M or L or XL or Jumbo or dare I say mixed which probably closer to the M in S&M than any of the others

For a start, mightn't we assume that the diameter of an egg is both proportional to the cube root of the volume (as I have said) AND the cube root of its weight? Or do eggs on sale vary significantly in density?

Well pmduk, if you buy your eggs mixed like that then good luck to you - you might need it! Don't you think that mixed eggs should be sold by the kilo at least? Or maybe you feel lucky, well do yer ?

.....and you asked me if I get out much......................

shaun_from_Africa

It may be so in developed countries in Africa, but is it in the UK? Where do you get that from?

For someone who wants to champion consumer rights, maybe you should do a bit of research first.
Even though eggs may be sold as small, medium, large, etc, there are no measurements apart from weight used to define which category an egg will be sold in.

http://www.egginfo.co.uk/page/eggsizes

Or try this one
http://www.hospitalityinfocentre.co.uk/Dairy/Eggs/Eggs.htm

European Hens Egg Size Classification

Size Weight per egg
Very Large 73g and over
Large 63-73g
Medium 53-63g
Small 53g and under

2sides2everystory

I don't need to research the maths Shaun now do I? Unless you wish to tell me otherwise, it is fairly safe to assume that the density of eggs on our shelves doesn't vary too much so that means for a given weight, the diameter should not vary too much. With me on that?

Secondly, those egg sizes you found on the egginfo site, are they legal limits i.e. no egg in a boxed marked L or Large will be less than 63g, or are they averaged too e.g. the average weight of six in a box will be no less than 63g? Or are they recommended limits only?

Forwandert

Every egg is weighed individually so no eggs from your example will be under 63g, if you have spent time working in chicken houses i'm amazed you don't know any of this.

shaun_from_Africa

I don't need to research the maths Shaun now do I? Unless you wish to tell me otherwise, it is fairly safe to assume that the density of eggs on our shelves doesn't vary too much so that means for a given weight, the diameter should not vary too much. With me on that

So is this a roundabout way of admitting that your earlier post was wrong and that you now agree that the sizing of eggs sold in the UK is dependant on their weight and not their physical size?
You can waffle on as much as you like about the diameter of an egg, but this has absolutely nothing to do with how it is labeled and sold to the general public.

Secondly, those egg sizes you found on the egginfo site, are they legal limits

Yes, legal limits, which you can read about on the DEFRA website
http://animalhealth.defra.gov.uk/about/publications/forms/EMR1.pdf

Class A eggs must be sold according to weight.

pitkin2020

2sides2everystory wrote: »

pitkin do stop being so flippin' blinkered. I worked on a farm and spent time in chicken houses probably long before you became a twinkle. I am not arguing for all eggs to be exactly the same size, just for standard grading and sizing to be returned to the UK market so we know what the hell we are buying without having to open half the boxes to look inside and compare them with the next box.

HHMM are people really so concerned that one egg is a few MM smaller than the other, or do people really open the boxes to ensure none of the eggs are cracked.

You are the one with the blinkers on the UK has a standard for grading eggs already, which is based on weight not exact sizes. OPEN YOUR EYES its there for all too see. The weight differences aren't going to change the size massively for it to be such an issue, well not to those who don't get a vernier out to check the eggs that is.

2sides2everystory

Pitkin remove your blinkers. No one here except you is arguing the impossible toss about insignificant differences in size between eggs in a box.

So then ... why have "Large" eggs generally got smaller in their (also smaller) boxes on the supermarket shelves. ? Have they recently become heavier? Is it possible to make an egg heavier e.g. in the "washing" process? I am of course alluding to the revelation of the quite well known (in school science labs) osmosis experiments using eggs.

I asked about the law in the UK because I read that even as late as last year, the egg industry were resisting EU law on eggs.

pitkin2020

Where are you basing your facts on that they have got smaller?? Have you got measurements and weights before and after or is this just a perceived observation.

If the grading has changed in recent years then yes they may have got smaller, fact of the matter is its still an egg that isn't man made unlike a carton of orange juice!