Checking the net contents of packaged goods

116 Pages·6.6 MB·English

by  Coleman, Thomas, Grimes, Terry

NA L INST. OF STAND & TECH
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National Institute of
Standards and Technology
Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Commerce
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Checking Ihe Net Contents
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no. 133
Handbook 133
2002
Fourth Edition January 2002
# he National Institute of Standards and Technology was established in 1988 by Congress to “assist industry in
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NIST
Handbook 1 33
Checking the Net Contents
of Packaged Goods
Fourth Edition
(Supersedes NIST Handbook 133, Third Edition, September 1988; Supplement 1, 1990;
Supplement 2, 1 991; Supplement 3, 1992; and Supplement 4, 1994)
Editors: U.S. Department of Commerce
Thomas Coleman Donald L. Evans, Secretary
Terry L. Grimes
Technology Administration
PhillipJ. Bond, Under
Henry V. Oppermann, Office Director
Secretary for Technology
NIST Office of Weights & Measures
National Institute of Standards
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2600
and Technology
Arden L. Bement, Jr., Director
NIST
FHandbook
January 2002
Certain commercial entities, equipment, or materials may be identified in this document
in order to describe an experimental procedure or concept adequately. Such
identification is not intended to imply recommendation or endorsement by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, nor is it intended to imply that the entities,
materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose.
National Institute of Standards and Technology Handbook 133, 2002 Edition
Natl. Inst. Stand. Technol. Handb. 133, 2002 Ed., 106 pages (Jan. 2002)
CODEN: NMAE2
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON: 2002
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free [phone]; DC area [phone]
Fax: [phone] Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
ISBN 0-16-051006-6
Foreword
This handbook has been prepared as a procedural guide for compliance testing of net content statements on
packaged goods. Compliance testing of packaged goods is the determination of the conformance of the
results of the packaging, distribution, and retailing process (the packages) with specific legal requirements
for net content declarations. This handbook has been primarily developed for use by government officials,
it also should be useful to commercial and industrial establishments in the areas of packaging, distribution,
and sale of commodities.
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Table of Contents for the 41'1 Edition of Handbook 133
Chapter 1 - General Information.2
1.1 Scope.2
1.2 Package Requirements.3
1.3 Sampling Plan.4
1.4 Other Regulatory Agencies Responsible for Package Regulations and
Applicable Requirements.5
1.5 Assistance in Testing Operations.6
1.6 Health and Safety.6
1.7 Good Measurement Practices.6
Chapter 2 - Basic Test Procedure - Gravimetric Testing.7
2.1 Gravimetric TestProcedure for Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods.7
2.2 Measurement Standards and Test Equipment.7
2.3 Basic Test Procedure.10
2.4 Borax.19
2.5 The Determination of Drained Weight.21
2.6 Drained Weight for Glazed or Frozen Foods.22
Chapter 3 - Test Procedures - For Packages Labeled by Volume.24
3.1 Scope.24
3.2 Gravimetric Test Procedure for Fiquids.25
3.3 Volumetric Test Procedures for Liquids.28
3.4 Other Volumetric Test Procedures.28
3.5 Mayonnaise and Salad Dressing.29
3.6 Goods Labeled by Capacity - Volumetric Test Procedure.30
3.7 Pressed and Blown Glass Tumblers and Stemware.31
3.8 Volumetric Test Procedures for Paint, Varnish, and Lacquers - Non Aerosol.32
3.9 Testing Viscous Materials - Such as Caulking Compounds and Pastes.37
3.10 Peat Moss.39
3.11 Mulch and Soils Labeled by Volume..40
3.12 Ice Cream Novelties.42
3.13 Fresh Oysters Labeled by Volume.45
3.14 Determining the Net Contents of Compressed Gas in Cylinders.47
3.15 Volumetric Test Procedures for Packaged Firewood with a
Labeled Volume of 113 L (4 Cu Ft) or less.50
3.16 Boxed Firewood.50
3.17 Crosshatched Firewood.51
3.18 Bundles and Bags of Firewood.51
Chapter 4 - Test Procedures - Packages Labeled by Count, Linear
Measure, Area, Thickness, and Combinations of Quantities.53
4.1 Scope.53
4.2 Packages Labeled by Count.53
4.3 Packages Labeled with 50 Items or Less.54
4.4 Packages Labeled by Count of More than 50 Items.54
4.5 Paper Plates and Sanitary Paper Products.57
4.6 Special Test Requirements for Packages Labeled by Linear or
Square Measure (Area).58
v
4.7 Polyethylene Sheeting.59
4.8 Packages Labeled by Linear or Square (Area) Measure.62 i
4.9 Bailer Twine - Test Procedure for Length.64
4.10 Procedure for Checking the Area Measurement of Chamois.65
Appendix A. A-l
Appendix B. B-l
Appendix C.C-l
Appendix D.D-l
Appendix E. E-l
<
vi
Chapter 1. General Information
Chapter 1. General Information
1.1 Scope
Routine verification of the net contents of packages is an important part of any weights and measures
program to facilitate value comparison and fair competition. Consumers have the right to expect packages
to bear accurate net content information. Those manufacturers whose products are sold in such packages
have the right to expect that their competitors will be required to adhere to the same standards.
The procedures in this handbook are recommended for use to verify the net quantity of contents of
packages kept, offered, or exposed for sale, or sold by weight, measure (including volume, and dimensions)
or count at any location (e.g., at the point-of-pack, in storage warehouses, retail stores, and wholesale
outlets).
When and where to use these procedures?
An effective program will typically include testing at each of the following levels.
Point of Pack
Testing packages at the “point of pack" has an immediate impact on the packaging process. Usually, a
large number of packages of a single product are available for testing at one place. This allows the
inspector to verify that the packer is following current good packaging practices Inspection at the point of
pack also provides the opportunity to educate the packer about the legal requirements that products must
meet and may permit resolution of any net content issues or other problems that arise during the testing.
Point of pack testing is not always possible because packing locations can be in other States or countries.
Work with other State, county, and city jurisdictions to encourage point of pack inspection on products
manufactured in their geographic jurisdictions. Point of pack inspections cannot entirely replace testing at
wholesale or retail outlets, because this type of inspection does not include imported products or the
possible effects of product distribution and moisture loss at retail. At the point of pack, only examine the
manufacturing process. Therefore an effective testing program will also test at wholesale and retail outlets.
Wholesale
Testing packages at a distribution warehouse is an alternative to testing at the production point with respect to
being able to test large quantities and a variety of products. Wholesale testing is a very good way to monitor
products imported from other countries and to follow up on products suspected of being underfilled based on
consumer complamts or findings made during other inspections, including those done at retail outlets.
Retail
Testing packages at retail outlets evaluates the soundness of the manufacturing, distributing, and retailing
processes of the widest variety of goods at a single location. It is an easily accessible, practical means for
State, county and city jurisdictions to monitor packaging procedures and to detect present or potential prob¬
lems. Generally, retail package testing is not conducive to checking large quantities of individual products of
any single production lot. Therefore, at the very least, follow-up inspections of a particular brand or lot code
number at a number of retail and wholesale outlets, and ultimately at the pomt of pack, are extremely
important aspects in any package-checking scheme. After the evaluation of an mspection lot is reached, the
jurisdiction should consider what, if any, further investigation or follow-up is warranted. At the pomt of sale a
large number of processes impinge on the quality or quantity of the product. Therefore, there are many
possible reasons for an mspection lot being out of compliance. A shortage m weight or measure may result
from mishandling the product in the store, or from the retailer’s failure to rotate stock. Shortages may also be
caused through mishandling by a distributor, or from failure of some part of the packaging process. Shortages
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