Under weight packaging

BiffaBacon

Hi. I regularly weigh products in packaging and find the contents do not weigh the weight stated on the packaging.

For example I find the contents of Waitrose fresh chicken livers to be nearer 350g than 400g.

Is this a widespread 'shrinkflation' policy that supermarkets use to boost their yields?

Apparently they are allowed a ÷/- tolerance but I'm sure it is rarely over weight.

Does anyone else find this underweight issue with their shopping?

Bob

born_again

Nope. Then again never weigh anything.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

With meat does that include any liquid that has run out? Not sure what the allowable tolerances are thought.

PHK

Here's the law on the matter:
https://www.gov.uk/weights-measures-and-packaging-the-law/packaged-goods#:~:text=the contents of the packages,more than twice the TNE

The law applies to the average weight of a batch of a product not to the weight of an individual packet. It's also says that no more than 2.5% of a batch can be more than twice the tolerance. 

So it's quite acceptable in law for part of a batch to be under or over weight. I think this makes sense with natural things like a chicken breast or cuts of meat. Animals aren't uniform and butchers can't exactly cut a specific weight but the law says the average weight has to be given. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

PHK said:

Here's the law on the matter:
https://www.gov.uk/weights-measures-and-packaging-the-law/packaged-goods#:~:text=the contents of the packages,more than twice the TNE

The law applies to the average weight of a batch of a product not to the weight of an individual packet. It's also says that no more than 2.5% of a batch can be more than twice the tolerance. 

So it's quite acceptable in law for part of a batch to be under or over weight. I think this makes sense with natural things like a chicken breast or cuts of meat. Animals aren't uniform and butchers can't exactly cut a specific weight but the law says the average weight has to be given. 

I'm not sure how the 3rd rule is applied as the TNE has n/a for certain weights but it seems to suggest a 400g product shouldn't be out by more than 6% in terms of quantity. 

p00hsticks

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

PHK said:

Here's the law on the matter:
https://www.gov.uk/weights-measures-and-packaging-the-law/packaged-goods#:~:text=the contents of the packages,more than twice the TNE

The law applies to the average weight of a batch of a product not to the weight of an individual packet. It's also says that no more than 2.5% of a batch can be more than twice the tolerance. 

So it's quite acceptable in law for part of a batch to be under or over weight. I think this makes sense with natural things like a chicken breast or cuts of meat. Animals aren't uniform and butchers can't exactly cut a specific weight but the law says the average weight has to be given. 

I'm not sure how the 3rd rule is applied as the TNE has n/a for certain weights but it seems to suggest a 400g product shouldn't be out by more than 6% in terms of quantity. 

My reading of it would be that if you weighed a batch of 200 products, your procedures should take steps to ensure that at most 5 of them (2.5%) were more than twice the given tolerance

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

p00hsticks said:

My reading of it would be that if you weighed a batch of 200 products, your procedures should take steps to ensure that at most 5 of them (2.5%) were more than twice the given tolerance

Maybe but rule three says:

no package can be underweight by more than twice the TNE

The chart below detailing the various TNEs implies that if something weighs 10kg-15kg no package may be out by more than -300g but for 300-500g it's -6% of the whole meaning no 400g package may have a weight of less than 376g so a 400g package at 350g is breaking rule three regardless of the averages.

But as above I wonder if OP has accounted for any liquid left in the tray before weighing the liver. 

badmemory

Isn't this why they also sell diced meat, not only to remove dodgy stuff without us being able to tell.

35har1old

BiffaBacon said:

Hi. I regularly weigh products in packaging and find the contents do not weigh the weight stated on the packaging.

For example I find the contents of Waitrose fresh chicken livers to be nearer 350g than 400g.

Is this a widespread 'shrinkflation' policy that supermarkets use to boost their yields?

Apparently they are allowed a ÷/- tolerance but I'm sure it is rarely over weight.

Does anyone else find this underweight issue with their shopping?

Bob

Does it have E beside the weight?

TELLIT01

You may also sometimes find the weight is made up to the required level with bone, although that's unlikely with chicken liver.  I bought a tray of lamb steaks, about a dozen steaks in total.  Hidden beneath a couple of the steaks were fairly large pieces of bone with a tiny piece of meat in it.  I learnt my lesson there and then and didn't use that butcher again.  I can't believe I'm the only person he had done it to.  It was impractical to take the meat back and kick up about it.

Okell

BiffaBacon said:

Hi. I regularly weigh products in packaging and find the contents do not weigh the weight stated on the packaging.

For example I find the contents of Waitrose fresh chicken livers to be nearer 350g than 400g...

If you do this regularly then you should complain to your local Trading Standards.

If you can't contact them directly, do so via CAB and tell them to refer it to TS as persistent underweight selling.

They might (but most probably won't) visit Waitrose and do some test purchases...