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Black Comb

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Can anyone advise me where to buy digital scales (with tare) that will keep trading standards happy.

Thanks in advance.

Peter
 
We bought ours from a leading food chain store and tested them with a known 1kg and 500 gram weights they were fractionally out by 1gram. They also have the feature to reset to zero when an empty jar is put on them which makes it very easy to measure 454 grams or in our case 456 grams to ensure the jar is not under weight when filled.
 
Mike, that does not make them legal re reselling or with trading standards, I look forward to someone actually giving the model/brand name approved by TS as nobody every says they have approved scales.

Off the shelf scales are not enough for TS.

I timely thread as I was just asking this same question with someone today.

JD
 
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To be perfectly honest I'm not paying a fortune for high quality scales, weights or paying for some one to test them as I intend to label my jars as minimum weight 454grams.
 
Mike, I think there is another thread on that can of worms, ie 454 grams has to be just that, the end customer has to be able to compare like for like and so on prices too.

I don't think you have a choice? anyone else know.

Priced are high I agree, this is why I was hoping someone had found TS approved scales under £100.

I suspect almost all honey sold by local beeks in local shops is not with the TS's nod.

JD
 
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I just use bog standard digital scales that have tare, i went and bought some loose sherbet from the corner shop of various weights and checked them on my scales and they where correct, trading standards came and checked them with his weights and said they where close enough for him he also said net weight was the minimum and no body would prosecute with any that are over weight.
 
No idea the make or model of our scales (but can find out if anyone is really interested) but they were in excess of a couple of hundred £!!

The really annoying thing is our original £9.99 digital scales were when tested 0.05 of a gram out against the TS guys official weights so blooming accurate, but was told they needed to be approved scales. When asked if we needed a stamped scale accurate to that level (which would have cost nearer £1,000) he said no plus or minus 1 gram was fine!!



C B
 
he also said net weight was the minimum and no body would prosecute with any that are over weight.

There are some, maybe on this forum or the other place that would violently disagree with you. 'You are not allowed to overfill! it is illegal and trading standards have said so!' these zealots say overfilling is illegal as you are driving other 'legitimate suppliers' that do weigh correctly and do not overfill out of business.

IMHO it's bollocks. Some of my 340g 12oz jars were recently filled to the neck as usual. The product must be slightly denser than normal as when weighed they contained one or two ounces more honey. The customer got more than the label said, so what. Are the commercial suppliers going to go out of business just because I overfill. Not in a million years.

My scales are accurate (they need to be for their other 'industrial' application) I have class M1 test weights and my scales are near as dammit spot on. Given a choice between underfilling by 0.2g or overfilling by 50g then I know what I would do. Let them prosecute.
 
:iagree:

A few extra grams is hardly noticeable.

Good quality product, well presented and a smile will sell your honey.
 
Advice from Trading Standards:

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-business-wmsum7.cfm

It doesn't say you have to buy a TS approved weighing machine, however it must be 'passed as fit for use for trade' by an inspector of weights and measures (trading standards officer).

So I read this to mean we need an accurate balance and to be legal for use in trade it must be stamped (and presumably checked) by a trading standards officer.
 
It seems that Newport Council (so presumably other councils too) charge a fee for checking weighing scales:

"The 2010-2011 fee is based on a chargeable rate of £51.13 per Weights and Measures Inspector per hour and £30.66 per assisting officer per hour."

So don't keep them chatting when they come to do the tests!
 
Advice from Trading Standards:

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-business-wmsum7.cfm

It doesn't say you have to buy a TS approved weighing machine, however it must be 'passed as fit for use for trade' by an inspector of weights and measures (trading standards officer).

So I read this to mean we need an accurate balance and to be legal for use in trade it must be stamped (and presumably checked) by a trading standards officer.

So self checking with certified check weights traceable to national standards isn't allowed then... :confused:
 
scales

Hi everyone
I've stumbled on this thread and I'm in a similar situation with TS officers requiring me to get 'fit for trade scale' . I was wondering if you had managed to find any at a reasonable cost at all? Thanks!
 
You will still need trading standards to check the scales and they will then issue a certificate. That is if you want to legally covered.
 

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