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Decisions: Net Quantity

Net Quantity - "e" Symbol

Question: In the net quantity declaration, is it acceptable to use the European Union symbol "e" on imported products?

Answer: Yes, it is acceptable to use the European Union symbol "e" along side a net quantity declaration on imported products. This symbol is used by some countries in the European Union to indicate an average net weight system. (09/Sept/93)

Net Quantity - Oyster Sauce

Question: Should the net content of oyster sauce be declared by weight or by volume or can be declared either way?

Answer:  The net content of oyster sauce can be declared either way, by weight or by volume.(03/Mar/05).

Net Quantity - Under-filled Packages of Drinks

Question: Is it acceptable to only partially fill an opaque container with a beverage?

Answer: In general, it is not acceptable to only partially fill an opaque container with a beverage? For example, it is not acceptable to package 200 millilitres of a beverage in a container having a capacity of 250 millilitres. This would result in a head-space of at least 24%, often referred to as slack fill.

However, for some products, this practice may be acceptable. For example, a milk shake justifiably requires an extra space for mixing. A statement such as "an extra space is provided for shaking purposes" must be made. (24/Nov/92)

Net Quantity - Serving Size of Foods Sold by Count

Question: For nutrition labelling purposes, how do I declare the amount of a serving of a food when it is sold by count?

Answer: Under the Food and Drug Regulations, item 1 of the table to B.01.401 indicates how the serving size of a food is to be declared in the Nutrition Facts table. For items sold by count, the number of units or a common household measure or fraction of the food would be shown first, followed by the weight, expressed in grams, in parentheses e.g. 1 apple (150 g) or lettuce 2 cups (120 g) or ½ grapefruit (118 g). (updated 2006)

Net Quantity of Servings in Recipes

Question: Many foods which are used as ingredients of other foods provide recipes on their labels. When there is a reference to the number of servings the recipe makes, is the net quantity of each serving of the recipe food required to be declared?

Answer: No, when reference is made to the number of servings the recipe makes, the net quantity of each serving of the recipe food is not required to be declared. However, it is desirable to show the net quantity of each serving of the recipe food.

This should not be confused with the requirement of section 33 (1) of the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Regulations. When there is a reference to the number of servings of a food (as sold), a metric declaration of net quantity of each serving is required, immediately adjacent to the reference, in letters and figures of the same size as those in which the reference is made.

For information regarding declaring nutrition information on the recipe food, see Section D of the Nutrition Labelling Toolkit, “Dual Format - Foods Requiring Preparation”. (updated: 2006)