Australia's leading consumer body, CHOICE, has finally unveiled the secret meaning behind the mysterious lowercase 'e' symbol found on everyday grocery items, and it is not what most people think.
The 'e' Symbol Explained
The symbol appears next to the weight indication on pre-packaged food products such as meat, honey, butter, chips, sugar, cereal, and cheese. Margaret Rafferty from CHOICE explained that the symbol is ubiquitous across supermarket shelves. “You’ll see it on everything from packaged salads to frozen chips, beef mince to crackers, honey to brown sugar,” she said. “In fact, once you start to notice it, you’ll realise just how many of the products you buy from the supermarket carry the ‘e’ symbol next to the weight.”
While many assumed the ‘e’ stood for “estimated,” the real meaning is quite different. “This symbol, which many mistakenly believe indicates that the weight shown is only an estimate, actually denotes that the product complies with the Average Quantity System (AQS),” Ms Rafferty revealed.
How the System Works
In simple terms, the AQS ensures that the overall average weight of a factory batch must match the label. Since food factories produce tens of thousands of items per hour, inspectors cannot weigh every single packet. Instead, the government’s National Measurement Institute (NMI) tests random batches to ensure manufacturers follow strict rules. This guarantees that shoppers always get what they pay for.
The Trap When Weighing at Home
CHOICE often hears from shoppers who weigh their groceries on kitchen scales and find discrepancies. However, experts caution against immediately accusing the supermarket of shortchanging. “While it can be helpful to check a product’s weight yourself, you need to take a few things into account,” CHOICE warned. “Firstly, your kitchen scales can vary in accuracy, and any measurements you make on them should be treated as a general guide only.”
More importantly, the stated weight on a package refers to the net weight. “You also need to be mindful that it is the product’s net weight that needs to be measured, and this includes anything that is naturally part of the product,” the watchdog explained. This is a common trap for shoppers weighing beef mince at home. “In mince meat … the blood contained within the soaker pad is considered part of the net weight,” CHOICE revealed.
What If There Is No Symbol?
Not every item in the supermarket uses the average quantity system. Fresh items like deli meats and block cheeses often use a “random weight” system, meaning the product should never contain less than its marked quantity. Other items use a non-average system, where inspectors test batches to ensure no single package contains more than 5 per cent less than the marked quantity.
Fortunately, shoppers do not need to worry about products losing weight on the shelf due to shrinkage. “When packing and labelling products, producers need to allow for weight loss due to dehydration, and the NMI expects the net quantity to stay within the legal limits for the entirety of a product’s shelf life,” CHOICE assured.
If you suspect a product is severely underfilled, you can report the issue directly to the National Measurement Institute by calling 1300 686 664.
