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Weights and Measures

  • Prices must be displayed in 100g and kilograms, but pounds and ounces can also be used if certain rules are followed

    Prices must be displayed in 100g and kilograms, but pounds and ounces can also be used if certain rules are followed

  • Some fruit and vegetables can be sold individually without the need to weigh them

    Some fruit and vegetables can be sold individually without the need to weigh them

  • Prices must be made known to the customer before they purchase the goods

    Prices must be made known to the customer before they purchase the goods

  • Scales need to be suitable for the products they are weighing – so a scale for vegetables may not be suitable for confectionery

    Scales need to be suitable for the products they are weighing – so a scale for vegetables may not be suitable for confectionery

  • Weights used to test scales must be approved

    Weights used to test scales must be approved

If you are selling unwrapped food that you need to weigh (such as confectionery, fruit or vegetables) before the customer receives it, then you will need to comply with weights and measures laws.

Download the Weights and Measures Guide

The ACS Assured Advice Guide on Weights and Measures provides an overview of what is required of you as a business owner in terms of weighing food accurately and ensuring that the price indications, scales and weights that you use are legal.

The most important things to know about weighing foods for sale are:

  • The way that you display prices for unwrapped fruit, vegetables and confectionery is regulated.
  • Some vegetables can be sold by the bunch and certain fruits and vegetables can be sold by number.
  • Some soft fruits can be sold by the punnet.
  • If you sell unwrapped fruit, vegetables and confectionery by weight it has to be in kilograms and grams (metric) – but you can give imperial (pounds and ounces) price indications alongside metric ones.
  • The price per pound/ounce can be marked, but it cannot be more prominent than the price per kilo/100g.
  • Customers must know the weight of produce before they buy it.
  • The scales that you use must be suitable for the products you are weighing and be accurate.
  • Scales are passed as ‘fit for use for trade’ by a trading standards officer or an ‘approved qualifier’.
  • Legal scales will either have a stamp in a lead seal or stickers to prove this.
  • It is against the law to have seriously incorrect scales or to alter scales. It is recommended that you test your scales regularly.
  • Any weights you use with the scales must be stamped with the crown stamp.
  • Scales should be visible to the customer who should be able to see you weighing the goods.