It is already an offence under weights and measures legislation to give short weight in food, whether prepacked or not.
Certain commodities, for example, tobacco, wine and knitting wools, are liable to change in weight after they have been prepacked but before they are sold.
Some goods are required to be sold by weight, when not prepacked—for example, meat, some groceries, some fruit and vegetables and coal.
Under the existing national legislation certain prepacked goods, including products such as biscuits, breakfast cereals, pasta and bread, must be produced in specified standard sizes.
The report recommended that added water should be included in the list of ingredients for all prepacked foods, including meat and meat products.
What is meant is that things like prepacked goods will be dealt with first, and the weighed-out goods will come subsequently.
Importers are not required to state whether their butter is prepacked or not.
Under existing weights and measures legislation, the basic household foodstuffs must be sold, when prepacked, only in specified imperial measures.
