Inside this Issue

Package Testing Based on the 

Largest of the Declared Quantities 1

Calendar 2

This Month in 

History

September 2, 1789 - The U.S. Treasury was

established by Congress as the third Presidential cabinet.

September 3, 1783 - John Adams, Ben

Franklin, and John Jay, signed the Tready of

Paris and offically ending the American Revoluntary War.

September 8, 1883 - This day marks the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad

across the United States. 

September 9, 1776 - The Continential Congress changed the name of the country from

the United Colonies to the United States.

September 13, 1788 - New York was selected

by Congress as the capital for the New American government.

September 18, 1947 - the U.S. Air Force was

established as a separate military service.

September 23 - Autumn officially begins in

the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the

Southern Hemisphere.

September 29, 1789 - The U.S. Army was created by Congress. It consisted of 1,000 enlisted men and officers.

1

Volume 4 Issue 5

September 11, 2013

Package Testing Based on

the Largest of the Declared Quantities

By: David Sefcik

Dual Units 

When an inspector looks to test the net quantity of a consumer package,

he/she will notice that most package net content statements contain both metric and inch-pound (equivalent) units. Which unit should the inspector verify,

metric, inch-pound or both? The answer can be found by further examining

the requirements of the Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation (UPLR) in

NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal

Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality. 

Since February 14, 1994, both metric and inch-pound (or other customary

units) have been required to be represented in the quantity statement of a

consumer package. The requirement for having dual units, as it is often referred to, came from the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). 

Conversion from one system of units to the other is needed to determine the

equivalent metric/inch-pound quantity. Rounding is permitted. It is the packers’ responsibility to round converted values and select the appropriate number of significant digits to use in the quantity declaration so that accuracy is

neither sacrificed nor exaggerated. For the metric declaration, this is generally

either two or three digits (see 6.5 (g) of the UPLR). Guidance on rounding,

rounding rules, and significant digits are provided to packers in Appendix B of

the UPLR. Rounding is not determined by Handbook 130, but instead is based

on the packers’ knowledge of the accuracy of the original measurement that

is being converted. 

Inspectors should always verify the largest unit declared on the package to ensure its accuracy when determining whether a package contents meets or exceeds the labeled quantity. Reference to this can be found in Appendix B of

the UPLR, in NIST Handbook 130. 

NIST Handbook 133, Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods

Handbook 133 is used to enforce the requirements of the UPLR in Handbook

130. The handbook has, as part of its test procedures for filling out an official

inspection report, steps to determine and verify the largest unit declared. This

can be found in Chapter 2, Section 2.3.3.1. “Procedure for Recording Data”.
W&M Connection 2 Volume 4 Issue 5

Calendar 2013

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 Office of Weights and Measures website by

clicking on the name of the course. 

http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/calendar.cfm

September 9 - 13 (5 days)

NEMAP*

Class No. 5218

Harrisburg, PA

September 10 - 12 (3 days)

Vehicle and Axle-Load Scales

Class No. 5274

Augusta, ME

September 16 - 20 (5 days)

MidMAP*

Class No. 5219

Springfield, IL

September 18 - 19 (2 days) (full)

Handbook 130, Price Verification*

Marlboro, MA

Class No. 5271

September 22 - 26 (5 days)

Western Weights and Measures Association

(WWMA)

Kalispell, MT

Contact: Tim Lloyd at tlloyd@mt.gov

September 23 - 27 (5 days)

SWAP*

Class No. 5220

Phoenix, AZ

October 7 - 9 (3 days)

Southern Weights and Measures Association

(SWMA)

Embassy Suites Charleston

Charleston, WV

Contact: Richard McComas at 

rich.d.mccomas@wv.gov

October 9 - 10 (2 days)

NTEP Measuring Sector Meeting

Embassy Suites Hotel

Charleston, WV

Contact: NCWM at info@ncwm.net

October 10 

Webinar - Internal Auditing Best Practices

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5251

October 16 - 17 (2 days)

Northeastern Weights and Measures Association (NEWMA) Interim Meeting 

Holiday Inn Norwich

(continued on pg 3)

The steps require the inspector to:

• Record the labeled net quantity on the report form in both metric and

inch-pound units if they are provided on the package label. 

• Determine the larger of the values by converting the metric declaration

to inch-pound units or vice versa. 

• Indicate on the report form which of the declarations is being verified. 

HOW TO DETERMINE THE LARGER OF THE TWO UNITS?

The first step is to find the appropriate conversion factors. It is recommended

that you use Handbook 130, “Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation,

UPLR Appendix A: SI/Inch-pound Conversion Factors,” or the conversion factors from the tables in “Appendix E. General Tables of Units of Measurement”

in Handbook 133. Additional unit conversion resources can be found on our

website www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/metric/unit-conversion.cfm. These are

trusted and reliable sources that ensure the conversion factors are given to

six or more significant digits in the event such accuracy is necessary. Caution

should be used when using conversion software from alternate sources (i.e.,

websites, laptops, and calculators) unless it is first tested and the conversion

factors and rounding rules are verified and deemed reliable. 

Below are two examples of the process an inspector would use to determine

the larger of the two units. 

EXAMPLE 1 - Package A is labeled 25.5 oz (723 g) 

1. Determine the appropriate conversion factor. In this example, conversion factors in “Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation, Appendix

A: SI/Inch-pound Conversion Factors” of Handbook 130 are used. The

conversion factors are: 1 oz = 28.349 5 g or 1 g = 0.035 274 oz. 

2. To convert the labeled quantity of 25.5 oz into grams, multiply 25.5 oz

by the conversion factor of 28.349 5 g (25.5 oz × 28.349 5 g =

722.91225 g).

3. Compare the two labeled units to determine which is larger of the two.

Is 25.5 oz (or 722.91225 g when converted) larger than 723 g? The

723 g is the larger of the two units, so this quantity would be used to

verify the net contents and the test should be done in grams. 

EXAMPLE 2 - Package B is labeled 8 fl oz (236 mL)

1. Determine the appropriate conversion factor. In this example, conversion factors in both “Appendix E. General Tables of Units of Measurement” of Handbook 133 and “Uniform Packaging and Labeling

Regulation, Appendix A: SI/Inch-pound Conversion Factors” in Handbook 130 were used. The conversion factors are: 1 fluid ounce =

29.573 mL or 1 mL = 0.033814 fl oz. 

2. To convert the labeled quantity of 8 fluid ounces to milliliters, multiply

8 fl oz by the conversion factor of 29.573 mL to convert fluid ounces

into milliliters (8 fl oz × 29.573 mL = 236.584 mL).

3. Compare the two labeled units to determine which is larger of the two.
W&M Connection 3 Volume 4 Issue 5

Norwich, CT

Contact: James Cassidy at 

jcassidy@cambridgema.gov

October 17

Webinar - State Laboratory Annual Submission Process**

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5249

October 21 - October 25 (5 days)

Packaging and Labeling 

Glendale, AZ

Class No. 5269

October 21 - November 1 (2 weeks)

Mass Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5250

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

November 18 - 22 (5 days)

Volume Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5252

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

2014

January 13 - 17 (5 days)

Fundamentals of Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5276

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

January 19 - 22 (4 days)

National Conference on Weights and Measures

(NCWM) Interim Meeting

Albuquerque, NM

info@ncwm.net

(continued on pg 4)

In the Field

Is there a W&M topic that you would

like to have appear in the Weights and

Measures Connection?

How can we better serve our W&M

community?

Do you have a safety tidbit to share?

Do you have a W&M event that you

wish to post in the Connection’s calendar?

Submissions can be sent to the Editor,

Linda Crown at Linda.Crown@nist.gov

Is 8 fl oz (or 236.584 mL when converted) larger than 236 mL? Since

8 fl oz is the larger of the two units, this quantity would be used to verify the net contents and the test would be done in fluid ounces. 

WHAT IF THE PACKAGE HAS MULTIPLE DECLARATIONS SUCH AS A BI-DIMENSIONAL PRODUCT OR A COMBINATION DECLARATION WITH UNITS OF LENGTH, WIDTH, AREA, AND

THICKNESS? 

The same principle applies. The inspector must look at each distinct unit or

type of measure (i.e., length, width, area, thickness) and determine the larger

of the two units (metric or inch pound). 

Below are two examples of the process an inspector would use to determine

the larger of the two units in these cases. 

EXAMPLE 1 - Plastic Wrap is labeled 4.88 m × 45.7 cm (16 ft × 18 in) Total

2.23 m2 (24 ft2

)

The inspector would be required to make a number of calculations and might

follow these steps:

1. Compare the length units of 4.88 m to 16 ft and determine the larger

of the two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

2. Compare the width units of 45.7 cm to 18 in and determine the larger

of the two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

3. Compare the area of 2.23 m2 to 24 ft2 and determine the larger of the

two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

4. Verify the net quantity based on the larger of the two units (metric or

inch-pound) for each type of measurement (i.e., length, width, and

area).

In this example the units to be verified (largest of the two) would be 4.88 m

for length, 18 in for width, and 2.23 m2 for area. 

EXAMPLE 2 - Kitchen Bags are labeled 13 gal (49 L) 2 ft × 2 ft 3 in (60.9 cm

× 68.5 cm) 0.90 mil (22.8 μm)

The inspector would be required to make a number of calculations and might

follow these steps:

1. Compare the volume units of 13 gal to 49 L and determine the larger

of the two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

2. Compare the length units of 2 ft to 60.9 cm and determine the larger

of the two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

3. Compare the width units of 2 ft 3 in to 68.5 cm and determine the

larger of the two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

4. Compare the thickness of 0.90 mil to 22.8 μm and determine the larger
WEIGHTS AND

MEASURES

IN THE NEWS

CBS This Morning

Walgreens accused of cheating sick,

elderly on prices

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch

/?id=50153924n

BETA D News

Time to Switch to the Metric System!

http://news.discovery.com/tech/videos

/time-to-switch-to-the-metric-system130827.htm

Consumer Reports.org

Don’t get ripped off by credit card

skimming at gas pumps

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/

2013/08/credit-card-skimming-at-gaspumps/index.htm

W&M Connection 4 Volume 4 Issue 5

February 6

Webinar - Conducting an Effective Management

Review

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5255

February 20

Webinar - Internal Auditing Best Practices

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5256

March 31 - April 4 (5 days)

Fundamental of Metrology

Class No. 5275

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

March 31 - April 11 (2 weeks)

Mass Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5285

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

October 19 - 24

Combined Regional Measurement Assurance Program

Class No. 5157

St. Louis, MO

*Invitation Only

**Limited to State Laboratory Program Participants

of the two units using the appropriate conversion factor.

5. Verify net quantity based on the larger of the two units (metric or inchpound) for each type of measurement (i.e., volume, length, width, and

thickness).

In this example the units to be verified (largest of the two) would be 13 gal

for volume, 2 ft for length, 2 ft 3 in for width, and 0.90 mil for thickness. 

Routine verification of the net contents of packages is an important part of

any weights and measures program to ensure consumer protection and fair

competition among business. Consumers have the right to expect packages

to bear accurate net content information. Manufacturers also have a right

to expect that their competitors will be required to adhere to the same laws

and regulations that they follow. Enforcement based on the larger of the two

units helps provide added protection under the law. 

For more information, please feel free to contact David Sefcik at david.sefcik@nist.gov, (301) 975-4868. You may also contact Lisa Warfield at

lisa.warfield@nist.gov, (301) 975-3308.

Training Event in Sacramento, California

August 12 - 16, 2013 

for Handbook 133,

Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods 

NIST Instructors: David Sefcik and Lisa Warfield 

Class Participants (alphabetical order): Michael Barrett, Patrick Bowen,

Bruce Bryan, Kade Creviston, Katherine DeConteras, Marianne Delperdang,

Paula DeWall, Brady Gergovich, David Guerrero, Ellie Harris, Ryanne Hartman, Tom Pisani, Cesar Rodriguez, David Singh, Marcie Skelton, Annie Tsou,

Manuel Villicana, and Charley Zach.