Aldi shoppers have been left scratching their heads after discovering what the ‘e’ symbol next to the weight on their food products actually means, sparking fears they’ve been overpaying.
The small ‘e’ symbol can be found on the packaging of many everyday food items in the UK and abroad, but most people may have never noticed it there. When one Australian woman decided to investigate its meaning, she was shocked to discover it could mean she’s paying more for less. Taking to Facebook to express her frustration, the unhappy customer revealed that her 230g packet from Aldi really only contained 139g of crisps.
In disbelief, she asked, “How is this okay at all? [We] try to save money by buying from Aldi, but we don’t even get the amount on the packet!” She continued, “More than two-thirds of the packet was air – hence why I decided to check it… I put the whole bag with chips in it on the scales first and it was 157g.”
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Realising that the crisps weighed significantly less than advertised, her shock sparked a wave of outrage from other Facebook users. It was later pointed out by another user that the mysterious ‘e’ symbol indicates that the given volume or weight is simply an “average value”, reports the Express.
The Department of Industry, Science and Resources has made it clear that weight differences like these shouldn’t happen under the Average Quantity System (AQS). Their official website states: “The AQS is an internationally agreed method of determining the size or quantity of pre-packed articles with a ‘constant nominal content’.
“This means it provides confirmation of the measurement or quantity of goods in the package, being sold by measure (weight, volume, length, area or number),” their site explained. They also specify that “no pre-packaged article can have a shortfall greater than five percent of the stated quantity.”
Yet, customers have taken to social media to express their frustration. One Australia-based Facebook user commented: “That isn’t an estimation, though. Even Woolies mince has the ‘e’ and usually it’s minimal difference – but nearly 100g is massive!” Another disgruntled shopper posted: “Not getting what you pay for is a joke and being so far off the ‘e’ weight is just ridiculous.”
EU regulations state that packaged goods sold within any EU country must clearly display the nominal quantity (weight or volume) of the contents on the packaging, as per the official European Union website. They also clarify that the ‘e’ mark “placed next to the nominal quantity, shows that you have complied with the relevant European laws”. Aldi has been contacted for a statement regarding this issue.
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