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IV. SELECTED AREAS OF CONSUMER

CONCERN

The papers contained in this chapter are those prepared by experts on areas of consumer concern. Most of the individuals were associated with universities and were in departments concerned with the activity assigned. Others were employed full time in occupations related to the activity. Consequently, all had a firm understanding of the present situation and with careful analysis could reasonably consider probable future effects of metrication on the selected area of consumer concern. In addition to their professional qualifications, many hold memberships in consumer organizations and have had extensive experience in working in areas of consumer interest.

PURCHASING PROCESSED FOODS

Jean A. Phillips

College of Home Economics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

INTRODUCTION

The English system (customary system) of weights and measures brought to this land by the colonists prior to the formation of the United States has been used since that time in trade and commerce, and has been retained essentially unchanged. Current legal restrictions are such that the customary or U.S. system of measure is presently used in retail markets for all foods, with metric units sometimes available as parenthetical information. Thus individual consumers are experienced with the customary system and use this for making judgments of quantity.

In general, home economists, who by definition are concerned with the well-being of families and individuals, would be a group of persons in the United States who are knowledgeable about current usage of measuring systems in purchasing processed foods. A survey [1] of representatives from the various areas within home economics indicated little current use of the metric system except by those home economists in government and public health research. Further, as far as it was possible to determine, no one person (or group) was familiar with and knowledgeable about the entire metric system of measurement units. Those home economists whose positions involved research in the physical and life sciences or who work in product development and marketing expressed greater familiarity with the metric system than did those who were less involved with actual need for precise measurements. The working knowledge was usually limited to the base units of the system as these applied to the area of specialization. Since home economists have an active part in consumer education at all levels, knowledge of the customary system apparently meets the personal and workday needs of these persons and negates any impact of the worldwide increase in the use of the metric system on our domestic situation.

This dearth of knowledge about and limited use of the metric system in our domestic food markets is probably due to reliance on the comfort of the familiar, i.e. the customary system, as well as on legal requirements for units of measure used for processed food products. Some products are labeled with customary and metric units of measure and may have been packaged in other countries for market in our retail food stores, or may reflect similar practices by processors in the U.S. who market food products in countries that use the metric system as official measure.

Other rationale for a lack of utilization of the metric system in retail food

EXISTING LABELING REGULATIONS AND MARKET

PRACTICES

The Declaration of Policy in the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (Public Law 89-755, November 3, 1966) states:

Informed consumers are essential to the fair and efficient functioning of a free market economy. Packages and their labels should enable consumers to obtain accurate information as to the quantity of the contents and should facilitate value comparisons. Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress to assist consumers and manufacturers in reaching these goals in the marketing of consumer goods.

Elucidation of this "accurate information" as to contents is spelled out in section 4 of the Act which provides in addition to the identity of a commodity the requirement that "the net quantity of contents (in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count) shall be separately and accurately stated." For those packages which contain less than 4 pounds or 1 gallon, the weight or measure shall be expressed both in ounces (with identification as to avoirdupois or fluid ounces) and if applicable, in pounds for weight units, with any remainder in terms of ounces or common or decimal fractions of the pound; or in the case of liquid measure, in the largest whole unit (quarts and pints, or pints as appropriate) with any remainder in terms of fluid ounces or common or decimal fractions of the pint or quart. It is interesting to note here the inclusion of the base 10 or decimal units with the customary system.

The regulations for the enforcement of the FPL Act, (Part 1, Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations as amended July 21, 1967, and September 20, 1967, effective December 31, 1967, and July 1, 1968), 1.8b (a) state that the net contents declared on labels for food products shall be:

in terms of fluid measure if the food is liquid, or in terms of weight if the food is solid, semisolid, or viscous, or a mixture of solid and liquid. . . If there is a firmly established general consumer usage and trade custom of declaring the content of a liquid by weight, or a solid, semisolid, or viscous product by fluid measure, it may be used. Whenever the Commissioner determines that an existing practice of declaring net quantity of contents by weight, measure, numerical count, or a combination in the specific packaged food does not facilitate value comparisons by consumers and offers opportunity for consumer confusion, he will by regulation designate the appropriate term or terms to be used for such commodity.

Subparagraph (b) of 1.8b designates weight in terms of the avoirdupois pound and ounce, and fluid measure in terms of the U.S. gallon, quart, pint, and fluid ounce. Dry measures are designated as the U.S. bushel, peck, dry quart, and dry pint. Provision is again made for the use of common fractions (halves, quarters, eighths, etc.) and of decimal fractions.

It is easy to see from the above regulations that careful attention is needed on the part of consumers to avoid confusion between weight and volume when the term ounce is used, and the qualifying term avoirdupois or fluid are essential for clarity. The dry quart and pint are less frequently used which helps to eliminate some confusion from ambiguity. Allowance of sub-units as common fractions or as decimal fractions compounds possible confusion. In order to provide a basis for discussion of the utilization of these measures a limited survey was made of all processed foods in one retail outlet of a national chain food store. Some of the findings of major food items are summarized in table 1. This survey indicated that the regulations for expres

Table 1. Net Contents as Listed on Labels for Some

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sion of quantity were followed by food processors with the exception of weights expressed in ounces. Often the qualifying term avoirdupois (av.) was omitted for solid and semisolid foods. These are listed in the table as weight measure because of the nature of the food item. This omission of the qualifying term is probably due to allowances for using labels printed prior to the activation date of the regulations. One very confusing category was sirups, which were labeled in volume units or fluid ounces (63.6%) and in mass units or avoirdupois ounces (36.4%). Viscosity of the product or common trade usage may account for the decision to label in mass or in volume units; whatever the reason, the fact remains that this practice seems confusing for the

consumer.

All items were found to have expression of measure as required, with supplementary measure in metric units for some. These categories of food items which included metric information on more than 25 percent of the labels were for food produced under one brand name in each category, indicating that some food processors are either marketing under the same brand name in other countries or are interested in expanded metrication in the United States. Those labels for processed foods which included metric units on more than 50 percent of the labels were for foods which are popular with Spanish-speaking Americans who are probably more familiar with the metric system than with the customary system.

To lessen confusion for individual consumers it seems that yield (either total or as numbers of portions, if portion size is stated) should be of benefit. However, this information was provided on few items, and most of these were items which change in volume due to cooking or required dilution before serving. Personal conversation with consumers revealed that many purchasers select processed food by visual examination of the container size rather than close attention to weight or volume measure. This would indicate that experienced consumers have empirical knowledge of the appropriate size to purchase in order to adequately feed a group, family or individual. These consumers reported that careful reading of label detail (unit of measure) was practiced only when comparing a new product with a familiar one or when a thrift campaign was initiated. On this basis attention should be given to container sizes.

Frozen foods are packaged in relatively standardized boxes, cans, plastic bags and bowls. All of the frozen foods are sold by customary weight or volume units; however, not all frozen food items are packaged in the same weight or volume units since there is variation in density of these food items, and portion size is more desired than portion weight. For example, similarly sized containers may contain: 5 oz. onion rings, 8 or 9 oz. green beans, 10 oz. corn, 8 or 10 oz. lima beans, 10 oz. broccoli, or 12 oz. seasoned cooked rice.

Heat processed foods are usually packaged in metal (tin or aluminum) or in glass jars. In 1949 a list of 32 can sizes, with can name, dimensions and probable products, was promulgated by the National Bureau of Standards in an effort to simplify selection. These can sizes are known by a variety of numerical, letter, or word designations, or a combination of these. Since then there have been more variations in container sizes utilized, and 20 of these

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