It's a cheeky little way supermarkets can charge more for less.
Supermarket shoppers have discovered the meaning behind a small but important symbol on some food packaging, and they're not happy about it.
You've probably seen the “e” symbol, often next to weight instructions on packages of potato chips and other items at the grocery store, but you've probably never bothered to think about what it stands for.
A woman on Facebook discovered the “e” symbol after conducting her own experiments.
She bought a bag of potato chips at an Aldi store in Australia. It was originally supposed to be 230 grams, but after weighing it, she found that there were only 139 grams of potato chips in the bag.
The Canberra mum shared a photo of the find and asked: “How's that? (We) tried to save money by buying from Aldi but we didn't even get the amount on the packaging!”
She wrote: “Over two-thirds of the pack was air – so I decided to check… I first put the entire bag of crisps on the scale and it weighed 157g.”
Several other Facebook users were shocked at how few chips were in the bag, before someone pointed out that the “e” on the bag indicates that the volume or weight of the product is actually “average”.
One wrote: “Buy fresh, buy local, buy in bulk, buy separately if needed and then go home and freeze.”
One angry shopper added: “I don't care what the E in the corner stands for or if the packaging is wrong, as long as it's correct I paid 500g, give me 500g, not rocket science.”
According to the UK government website, the “℮” mark on packaging is a “declaration by the packager that the contents comply with the average system”. There is no requirement to have the “℮” mark on the packaging. The regulation prohibits its use on packaging that does not meet certain standards. “
After Brexit, the “e” mark is no longer required for products in the UK, but its use is still voluntary.
According to EU regulations, prepackaged (or prepackaged) products sold in any EU country must provide information on the packaging clarifying the nominal quantity (weight or volume) of its contents. They explain that the “e” mark “is placed next to the nominal quantity to indicate that you have complied with relevant European law”.
To avoid being scammed and get the most out of your money, others advise: “If you go to a butcher's shop, they will weigh the product in front of you.”
While this doesn't exactly apply to a bag of chips, it certainly makes sense if you want to get the most for your money when buying more expensive meat and poultry products.
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