Inside this Issue

Consumer and Non‐Consumer Labeling 1

EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHTS

OWM Welcomes Tim Osmer 2

TRAINING AND EVENT CALENDAR 2

METRIC INTEREST

The U.S. is Technically on the Metric 

System 3

PUBLICATIONS NEWS

NIST Handbook 130, Correction 4

HANDBOOK REVIEW

Lab Metrology Handbook Review 4

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Updated NCWM Annual Reports DVD 5

SI Chart Now Available 6

1

Volume 8 Issue 3

October 2, 2017

OFFICE OF WEIGHTS

AND MEASURES

General Inquries: (301) 975‐4004 

e‐mail: owm@nist.gov

Chief: Douglas Olson 

e‐mail: dolson@nist.gov

Newsletter Editor: Linda Crown

(301) 975‐3998

e‐mail: linda.crown@nist.gov

Consumer and 

Non‐Consumer Labeling

Byline: Lisa Warfield

The Office of Weights and Measures recently requested that the Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) clarify the regulations for labeling of consumer

and non‐consumer packages. Consumer packages are packages intended

for sale through retail channels, while non‐consumer packages are intended

for institutional use and are sold in the wholesale channel to retailers or

restaurants. Over the years, the marketplace has changed with the intro‐

duction of club type stores that provide consumers the opportunity to pur‐

chase both consumer and non‐consumer (non‐retail) packages. These

changes have sometimes led to confusion for both state officials and pack‐

ers as to how to label packages for sale through wholesale outlets that

could also be offered for sale in retail stores.

In clarifying its regulations in Title 21 CFR 101.7(s), the FDA stated that on

a multiunit retail packages (consumer package), a statement of the net

quantity of contents shall appear on the outside of the package and shall

include the number of individual units, the quantity of each individual unit,

and, in parentheses, the total quantity of contents of the multi‐unit package

(refer to NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas

of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality,” Uniform Packaging and Label‐

ing Regulation [UPLR], Section 10.4. in Multi‐unit Packages). This format

allows for consumers to make value comparisons and to make an informed

purchase. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also explained that a non‐con‐

sumer package must bear a label that contains an accurate statement of

quantity of contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count in ac‐

cordance with Section 403(e)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic

Act but these packages are not required to include a statement of total

quantity of contents. However, FDA said, if a non‐consumer package is of‐

fered or exposed for sale at retail, then it would consider it to be a con‐

sumer package and the labeling required for a consumer package would

apply. 

Based on the guidance from the FDA, a non‐consumer package, which bears

a declaration of net contents as shown below, would meet both the FDA

requirements and those NIST Handbook 130 UPLR, Section 7. Declaration

of Quantity: 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

ON WEIGHTS AND

MEASURES

2018 INTERIM MEETING

JANUARY 21 ‐ 24, 2018 

ST. PETE BEACH, FLORIDA

Registration, lodging, agenda, and supporting

documentation is available online at:

https://www.ncwm.net/sems/event_de‐

tail/2018‐interim‐fl. 

(continued on pg 2)
W&M Connection 2 Volume 8 Issue 3

Employee Highlight

Training and Events

Calendar 

2017

Registration for training in the NIST Office of

Weights and Measures is handled by Yvonne

Branden at yvonne.branden@nist.gov.

Course descriptions can be viewed on the Of‐

fice of Weights and Measures website at ‐ 

https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights‐and‐mea‐

sures/about‐owm/calendar‐events and click‐

ing on the name of the course. 

October 8 ‐ 11

Southern Weights and Measures Association

(SWMA) Annual Meeting

Little Rock, AR

https://ncwm.net/meetings

Contact: Tim Chesser

E‐mail: tim.chesser@aspb.ar.gov

October 10 ‐ 11

Handbook 130, Price Verification

Class No. 5476

Held in conjunction with the SWMA Meeting

Little Rock, AR

October 16 ‐ 18 (3 days)

Central Weights and Measures Association (CWMA)

St. Charles, MO

https://ncwm.net/meetings

Contact: Sherry Turvey, sheery.turvey@ks.gov

October 16 ‐ 19 (4 days/32 hr)

MidAmerica Measurement Assurance Program

(MidMap)**

Class No. 5469

Lansing, MI

October 19 (2 hr)

Webinar ‐ Internal Auditing Best Practices

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5423

October 23 ‐ 26 (4 days)

Retail Motor‐Fuel Dispensers and Consoles

Class No. 5524

Harrisburg, PA

October 23 ‐ 27 (5 days)

Handbook 133 ‐ Checking the Net Contents of Pack‐

aged Goods ‐ Basic

Class No. 5507

Sonoma, CA

October 23 ‐ November 3 (10 days)

Mass Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5456

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

October 24 ‐ 26 (3 days)

Northeastern Weights and Measures Association

(NEWMA)

Portland, ME

(continued on pg 3)

OWM WELCOMES

TIM OSMER

Byline: Georgia Harris

Mr. Tim Osmer has joined

the NIST Office of Weights

and Measures (OWM)!

Tim began work with

OWM on Monday, July 10.

He comes to us from the

State of New Hampshire,

where he worked as a

metrologist and managed

their NVLAP accredited

laboratory from 2005

through 2016. He at‐

tended all the OWM labo‐

ratory metrology seminars

through Advanced Mass

and was a regular partici‐

pant in the annual North‐

Non‐consumer Packages:

Box of Produce – individual Packages by Net Wt: 8 – 3 LB Bags

Box of Produce – Individual Packages by Count: 12 – 9 CT Bags

Box of Produce – Individual Packages by Net Wt: 12 – 6 oz/170 g 

Note: While a total net weight declaration is not required, one may appear

on a non‐consumer package at the discretion of the packer.

Note: The metric (SI) and U.S. customary systems of weights and measures

are recognized as proper measurement systems to be used in declarations

of quantity. Units of both systems may be combined in a dual declaration

of quantity. 

In addition, the declaration of net quantity on a non‐consumer package must

be accurate and these packages are not exempt from NIST Handbook 

130, UPLR, Section 7.5.1. “Symbols and Abbreviations,” so all declarations 

must include the unit of measure. For example: 

Acceptable: 10 × 2.5 LB or 10 × 1.1 kg

Not Acceptable: 3 × 2.5 or 10 × 1.1

If you have any questions regarding this matter or need additional clarifica‐

tion, contact the Laws and Metric Program staff at (301) 975‐4004.

Photo Credit: Vic Ventura

(continued on pg 3)
W&M Connection 3 Volume 8 Issue 3

Contact: James Cassidy,

jcassidy@cambridgema.gov

December 4 ‐ 8 (5 days)

Fundametals of Metrology

Class No. 5505

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

2018

January 9 ‐ 12 (4 days)

Balance and Scale Calibration and Uncertainties, plus

User Uncertainties

Class No. 5519

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

January 21 ‐ 24 (4 days)

NCWM Interim Meeting

St. Pete Beach, FL

info@ncwm.net or

https://www.ncwm.net/sems/event_detail/2018‐

interim‐fl

February 1 (2.5 hr)

Webinar ‐ Calibration Certification Evaluation

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:30 p.m.

Class No. 5522

February 5 ‐ 9 (5 days)

Fundamentals of Metrology

Class No. 5514

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

February 5 ‐ 8 (4 days)

NIST Handbook 133 ‐ Checking the Net Contents of

Packaged Goods ‐ Volumetric

Class No. 5511

San Diego, CA

February 12 ‐ 16 (4 days)

Fundamentals of Metrology

Class No. 5515

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

February 15 (2 hr)

Webinar ‐ Conducting an Effective Management Re‐

view

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5424

March 1 (2 hr)

Webinar ‐ Internal Auditing Best Practices

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5425

March 12 ‐ 15 (4 days)

NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Packaging and Label‐

ing Regulation

Class No. 5509

Orange County, CA

March 26 ‐ 29

NIST Handbook 133 ‐ Checking the Net Contents of

Packaged Goods ‐ Basic

Class No. 5513

Lebanon, MO

(continued on pg 4)

east Measurement Assurance Program (NEMAP) regional training seminars,

where he assisted in coordinating proficiency tests in the region and pre‐

sented training material. 

Most recently in New Hampshire, Tim was helping to oversee and provide

training to weights and measures officials, licensed service agents, and the

weighmaster program in New Hampshire. You may have met him at the

Northeastern Weights and Measures Association (NEWMA) meetings. Tim

has attended several of the Train the Trainer seminars at NIST, helped with

metrology training, including the redesign of the Fundamentals of Metrol‐

ogy course in 2011. He has served as a contract “mentor” to assist the

States of Maine, Massachusetts, and Montana in restoring their lab recog‐

nition after major staff changes took place. 

His primarily focus will be working in the Laboratory Metrology Program

where he will participate in training, proficiency testing, and laboratory

recognition. Another of Tim’s goals will be to work on projects in each one

of the four OWM groups to gain a better understanding of all the groups

and their functions. Tim will also participate in OWM training and standards

development activities with the International Legal Metrology Program, the

Laws and Metric Program, and the Legal Metrology Devices Program. 

In New Hampshire, Tim was a member of the LEAN Executive Committee

and holds several LEAN process improvement certifications. So, we are hop‐

ing he will have ideas for improving efficiency and effectiveness in the Lab‐

oratory Metrology Program and across the office. He has also been active

in New Hampshire with several education outreach events – so we expect

he will continue being involved in the ongoing OWM outreach activities.

What Tim says, “I am looking forward to helping Weights and Measures be

more successful and prominent in today’s society. I especially hope to help

the states address the needs for improving hiring standards and compen‐

sation to match the new skill sets presented by the technology and com‐

plexity of today’s weights and measures.”

On a more personal note, Tim states that he enjoys gardening, especially

growing flowers, vegetables, fruits, and fruit trees; he likes dogs, but doesn’t

have any; enjoys spending time on the water and with his four nieces and

two nephews. From an athletic perspective, he is a former runner and has

run one marathon and three “Reach the Beach” (200 mile team relay) races.

Tim also volunteered part‐time to help coach high school wrestling. One

thing he shares with Georgia Harris is standing atop Mt. Washington in New

Hampshire, although he hiked to the top of Mt. Washington in the middle

of winter! The mountain is home to some of the most dangerous weather

in the world! 

THE U.S. IS TECHNICALLY ON THE METRIC SYSTEM

We invite you to watch this very interesting video discussing the metric sys‐

tem and the definition of a kilogram based on the original artifact. The

video has some interesting history and human interest facts included.

Enjoy!

http://www.realclearscience.com/video/2017/05/11/the_us_is_techni‐

cally_on_the_metric_system.html

Metric Interest
W&M Connection 4 Volume 8 Issue 3

April 16‐ 19 (4 days)

NIST Handbook 133 ‐ Checking the Net Contents of

Packaged Goods‐ Basic

Class No. 5520

Montgomery, AL

April 16 ‐ 27 (10 days)

Mass Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5516

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

May 7 ‐ 10 (4 days)

Northeastern Weights and Measures Association

(NEWMA)

Saratoga Springs, NY

Contact: jcassidy@cambridgema.gov

May 14 ‐ 17 (4 days)

Handbook 133 ‐ Checking the Net Contents of Pack‐

aged Goods‐ Basic

Class No. 5512

Pompano Beach, FL

June 4 ‐ 8 (5 days)

Volume Metroogy Seminar

Class No. 5523

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

June 5 ‐ 7 (3 days)

NIST Handbook 130 ‐ Uniform Packaging and La‐

beling Regulation

Class No. 5510

Cleveland, OH

July 15 ‐ 19 (5 days)

NCWM 103rd Annual Meeting

Tulsa, OK

info@ncwm.net

https://ncwm.net/meetings

August 9 (2 hr)

Webinar ‐ Contract Review

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5426

August 30 (2 hr)

Webinar ‐ Document Control and Recordkeeping

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5427

October 18 (2 hr)

Webinar ‐ Internal Auditing Best Practices

2:00 p.m. ‐ 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5428

*State W&M labs only or invitation only.

**Regional Measurement Assurance Pro‐

gram “MEMBERS” (State and Industry RMAP

member laboratories.)

Publication News

CORRECTION FOR NIST HANDBOOK 130, 

“UNIFORM LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN

THE AREAS OF LEGAL METROLOGY AND

ENGINE FUEL QUALITY” 

There is a correction to the text for the section on Uniform Engine Fuels and

Automotive Lubricants. During the 2014 NCWM Annual Meeting, the follow‐

ing item was voted on and passed:

1.14. Diesel Exhaust Fluid. ‐ A preparation of aqueous urea

[NH2)2CO], containing 32.5 % by mass of technically‐pure urea in

high‐purity water with quality characteristics defined by International

Standards Organization’s latest version of ISO 22241., “Diesel en‐

gines ‐ NOx reduction agent AUS 21 32.”

This correction is indicated with bold strikeout text and underlined corrected

text. The correction affects the 2015, 2016, 2017 editions of NIST Hand‐

book 130. 

Handbook Review

THREE DRAFT HANDBOOKS HAVE BEEN

POSTED FOR REVIEW

Byline: Georga Harris

Draft Update of NIST Handbook 105-7, Displacement Provers 

A draft of this document was previously posted with inputs regarding Full

Stroke Closed Loop Provers (CLPs). An alternative draft handbook has been

created and all proposed language for CLPs and this draft only retains pro‐

posed changes to specifications and tolerances for Displacement Provers. Per

the American Petroleum Institute (API), these field standards are no longer

called Small Volume Provers, and are now called Displacement Provers. 

Draft NIST Handbook 105-9, Full Stroke Closed Loop Volumetric

Provers

This draft handbook is specific to the Full Stroke Closed Loop Volumetric

Provers (CLPs) for testing Retail Motor Fuel Dispensers. 
W&M Connection 5 Volume 8 Issue 3

Draft NIST Handbook 105-X, Master Meters (for use in testing LPG Meters)

This draft has been posted for review for quite some time. This notice serves to extend the time to gather additional com‐

ments, as very few people have reviewed this document and provided comments.

To obtain copies of the drafts, log into the OWM Contact System (https://tsapps.nist.gov/WMD/default.aspx) and go to My

Items. Then Press the button “Request an Item” (this is before the list of any previous requests you have made.)

Select the Item and then press the “Download” button.

All these documents have a review deadline date of December 1, 2017; however, this is not a firm or fixed interval and

working group reviews may be conducted before or after this date as appropriate and as resources are available. As NIST

publications, reviews of these documents will be conducted among members of the U.S. National Working Group for Al‐

ternative Test Methods and any participants submitting comments.

You can review these handbooks and then submit review comments via the OWM Contact System

(https://tsapps.nist.gov/WMD/default.aspx). After logging in, follow these

steps:

• Select “My Comments” from the menu bar (4th item in from the left).

• Select “Submit” a Comment radio button that is above any lists of comments you may have previously entered.

• Select “Handbook 105‐XYZ” from the list 

Choices of interest are: 

105-X Master Meters

Handbook 105‐7 Displacement Provers, and 

NIST Handbook 105‐9 Full Stroke Closed Loop Volumetric Provers

• Enter your “Section, Page, and Comment.”

• Press” Continue.”

• Review your submission and press “Edit” or “Submit.”

When submitting comments please provide justification and alternative language as appropriate. 

New Publications

UPDATED DVD RELEASED

The NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) recently released an updated

version of the compliation DVD for the “Reports of the National Conterence

on Weights and Measures 1905 ‐ 2016.” 

This DVD is an excellent resource for researching past agenda action items.

The DVD is searchable by single report or throughout the 102 past Annual

Meetings as whole. Many have found the past DVD releases very helpful. 

If you did not receive a copy in the mail, the DVD is available in limited qualities

from the OWM. You can request a copy by contacting Linda.Crown@nist.gov. 
W&M Connection Volume 8 Issue 3

6

The NIST Office of Weights and Measures

homepage: https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights‐and‐measures

SI EDUCATION CHART NOW

AVAILABLE

Byline: Elizabeth Gentry

The SI Measurement System (NIST SP 304A) is a col‐

orful chart explaining the seven base units of the SI

(International System of Units) and prefix symbols,

featuring the Measurement League: Guardians of

the SI. The Measurement League are superheroes

dedicated to the fight against uncertainty, impreci‐

sion, and inaccuracy and to improving the quality of

our lives and the things we build. 

The Measurement League superheroes include:

Mole, Professor Second, Monsieur Kilogram, Mizz

Ampere, Dr. Kelvin, Meter Man, and Candela. Three

comic book‐style video animations are available on

the NIST YouTube Channel (links here:

https://www.nist.gov/kids). 

The superheroes were designed to encourage stu‐

dents to learn about metric measurements as they

consider science, technology, engineering, and math‐

ematics (STEM) careers. SI familiarity and fluency

must be developed along the STEM career pipeline

to prepare the future workers with essential meas‐

urement skills. 

Additional information regarding education resources

for teachers, students, parents, and metrology am‐

bassadors are available online:

• SI Units ‐ https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights‐

and‐measures/metric‐si/si‐units

• Prefixes ‐ https://www.nist.gov/pml/

weights‐and‐measures/prefixes

• Education Resources ‐

https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights‐and‐

measures/metric‐si/si -education training

Please submit requests for hardcopies of this publi‐

cation to TheSI@nist.gov, download the PDF, or print

a copy (https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights‐and‐

measures/publications/metric‐publications). 

The Office of Weights and Measures

will glady include your weights and measures related

events in our calendar.

Contact the Editor: Linda.Crown@nist.gov