Current through Register 1527, August 2, 2024
Section 3.08 - Declaration of Quantity: Non-consumer Packages(1)Location. A Non-consumer package shall bear on the outside a declaration of the net quantity of contents. Such declaration shall be in terms of the largest whole unit (see 202 CMR 3.07(1) Largest Whole Unit).(2)Terms: Weight, Liquid Measure, or Count. The declaration of the quantity of a particular commodity shall be expressed in terms of liquid measure if the commodity is liquid, or in terms of weight if the commodity is solid, semisolid, viscous, or a mixture of solid and liquid, or in terms of numerical count. However, if there exists a firmly established general consumer usage and trade custom with respect to the terms used in expressing a declaration of quantity of a particular commodity, such declaration of quantity may be expressed in its traditional terms, if such traditional declaration gives accurate and adequate information as to the quantity of the commodity.(3)Units: Weight, Measure. A declaration of quantity (a) in units of weight shall be in terms of the avoirdupois pound or ounce;(b) in units of liquid measure shall be in terms of the United States gallon of 231 cubic inches or liquid-quart, liquid-pint, or fluid-ounce subdivisions of the gallon, and shall express the volume at 68°F (20°C), except in the case of petroleum products, for which the declaration shall express the volume at 60°F (15.6°C), and except also in the case of a commodity that is normally sold and consumed while frozen, for which the declaration shall express the volume at the frozen temperature, and except also in the case of a commodity that is normally sold in the refrigerated state, for which the declaration shall express the volume at 40°F (4°C);(c) in units of linear measure shall be in terms of the yard, foot, or inch;(d) in units of area measure, shall be in terms of the square yard, square foot, or square inch;(e) in units of dry measure shall be in terms of the United States bushel of 2,150.42 cubic inches, or peck, dry-quart and dry-pint subdivisions of the bushel;(f) in units of cubic measure shall be in terms of the cubic yard, cubic foot, or cubic inch: Provided, that nothing in 202 CMR 3.08(3) shall prohibit the labeling of Non- consumer packages in terms of units of the metric system.
(4)Abbreviations. Any generally accepted abbreviation of a unit name may be employed in the quantity statement on a package of commodity. (For commonly accepted abbreviations, see 202 CMR 3.07(6) Abbreviations.)(5)Character of Declaration: Average. The average quantity of contents in the package of a particular lot, shipment, or delivery shall at least equal the declared quantity, and no unreasonable shortage in any package shall be permitted, even though overages in other packages in the same shipment, delivery, or lot compensate for such shortage.