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

Forwandert

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Even if Shaun is right it does look like they cut it a bit fine, doesn't it?

Not really, when you purchased the eggs they would have been slightly heavier with a smaller aircell, they lose moisture the older they are and it's replaced by air.

2sides2everystory

Well as dear pitkin has striven to remind us, the chicken doesn't lay the eggs at a uniform 73g (min Very Large) or 63g (min Large) this fine or very fine revelation surely now begs the question what proportion of all eggs laid actually get sold as eggs for the table?

By the way, does anyone know how much water the eggs absorb in the washing process? I am not certain the eggs are washed, but I believe that they are and based on a machine I saw on tv last week washing duck eggs I believe the water they use to wash the eggs is hot.

I can reveal I tried a simple experiment - after sitting my three eggs in a pan of cold water for 15 minutes they apparently then weighed 73g, 74g and 76g on the same scales as before.

pelirocco

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 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.

I think this is the important bit

Are you saying that there is no longer a standard grading for eggs?

pelirocco

is this any help?

http://www.itcreation.co.uk/aclpics/egg%20grades.pdf

fannyvart

Are people really whinging about the differences in egg sizes now? For goodness sake!! I despair for the human race when I read garbage like this, I really do.

Get a life and stop wasting it worrying about such pathetic little things!

2sides2everystory

pelirocco wrote: »

I think this is the important bit

Are you saying that there is no longer a standard grading for eggs?

Well I am certainly not convinced of it, pelirocco. I am semi-heartened by the Tesco labeling which uses what seems to be the official EU terms for sizing e.g. "Large", "Very Large" and I can see that my Tesco eggs have been packed to comply very closely to the minimum weights.

I have also seen how water is easily absorbed by eggs such that their weight might increase 2 to 3% in quite a short period of immersion.

We also seem only to have one grade for table eggs i.e. "Grade A" whereas the Americans seem to have three (AA, A & . I conclude that Grade A in UK or perhaps Europewide is a very wide mark and indeed boxes of table eggs do not say they are Grade A - the fact they are in a box for sale simply means they are good enough apparently. Looking at the descriptions of each of the permitted American classifications suggests to me that a large proportion of supermarket eggs in the UK would only make Grade B in the US.

I am also confused by the avoidance of the terms "Small" "Medium" "Large" "Very Large" in Sainsburys. If I was not mistaken, they use S M L XL. It seriously makes me wonder if their lawyers have advised them that selling under those marks is the same as selling six mixed eggs i.e. that the marks have no formal meaning under the law. I do hope I am wrong about that.

My worry is compounded by the articles I read about UK retailers in 2010 still arguing their right to sell eggs by quantity not size. Does anyone know if the right they were arguing was upheld? Clearly it is still possible in the UK to buy six or fifteen or whatever "value" eggs of mixed sizes.

This thread was inspired because I thought I was noticing that it didn't seem to matter whether boxes were marked S M L or XL because the contents were actually still very mixed and generally smaller than expected.

Finally, I am sure I also bought some eggs in the last couple of months from one of the major supermarkets that were marked "Jumbo". Am I right that Jumbo is also a meaningless term in the EU?

Edit: I see you pelirocco that you found that DEFRA document that seems to officialise the XL L M and S marks to correspond to "Very Large" etc. ... so, I guess it is more or less back to the original question ... are they selling smaller eggs (than before) under the same size bands i.e. are they breaking out all those eggs in for example the 65.9g - 72.9g category and denying supermarket customers the opportunity to buy them as "Large" eggs and instead perhaps marketing those via a different (perhaps Extra Fresh?) channel now?

pitkin2020

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Well as dear pitkin has striven to remind us, the chicken doesn't lay the eggs at a uniform 73g (min Very Large) or 63g (min Large) this fine or very fine revelation surely now begs the question what proportion of all eggs laid actually get sold as eggs for the table?

By the way, does anyone know how much water the eggs absorb in the washing process? I am not certain the eggs are washed, but I believe that they are and based on a machine I saw on tv last week washing duck eggs I believe the water they use to wash the eggs is hot.

I can reveal I tried a simple experiment - after sitting my three eggs in a pan of cold water for 15 minutes they apparently then weighed 73g, 74g and 76g on the same scales as before.

OMG the eggs don't weigh the same, time to call the egg police.

Your argument still has no basis BTW, you are only going on the fact you think the eggs are smaller what facts do you have to back up that they are in fact smaller?? Until you can give some facts to back your claim your talking out of your ****

Atleast with your other pointless thread the side of the carton had told you it was now smaller!!

2sides2everystory

Ah ... never tried this before but I just couldn't resist the urge this time: Click User CP/Edit Ignore List/ type pitkin2020.

Mmm ... instant bliss

pitkin2020

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Ah ... never tried this before but I just couldn't resist the urge this time: Click User CP/Edit Ignore List/ type pitkin2020.

Mmm ... instant bliss

LMAO Ignore me all you want, if you want to ignore everyone that has disagreed with you in this thread it will be just you in the thread.

Another user that wants to start a debate, not provide any facts what so ever to back up the tripe they are spilling out and then throws their toys out of the pram when NO ONE agrees with them,

what a


The OP hasn't had a single thanks yet he still thinks he is right.

fannyvart

2sides2everystory wrote: »

Ah ... never tried this before but I just couldn't resist the urge this time: Click User CP/Edit Ignore List/ type pitkin2020.

Mmm ... instant bliss

What a remarkably childish attitude - just because he (rightfully) disagrees with you!
Oh dear. :cool: