Measurement Units Standards & Services Department

prepacked commodities

A few decades ago most products were unpacked and in many instances retailer was the packager. Weighing or measuring products was carried out by the seller before the buyer.With the factory production of certain consumer goods made available in containers buyers paid little interest in the quantity of the product. He believed that efficient automotive machinery make no mistakes and provide the quantity marked on the label. Today manufacturers have developed various means to reduce the amount of net content in a package. One such method is to include a child's toy to a direct and substantial loss by weight or volume.

Legal control of prepackaged goods is highly important for such malpractices. Unlike ordinary transaction in prepackaged goods the primary requirement is that the package intended for retail sale shall be marked with correct statement of net quantity in such manner as to be readily seen by the purchaser. Specified arricles were published by gazette extra ordinary no.1362/11 dated 13.10.2004.

The department conducts periodical inspections to verify the declared net content of prepackaged goods according to a method recommended by the international organization of legal metrology. This will ensure fair trade practices and also encourages manufacturers, distributors and retailers to follow good manufacturing and distribution practices. Testing prepackaged commoditities for correctness of quantity indicated is another task initiated by the department in the recent past.