Cured or preserved fish

Procedure to establish the net weight of prepackaged cured or preserved fish products.

Labelling and testing requirement

All packaged foods must be marked and sold with a stated net quantity on the package. All packaging must be excluded from the quantity statement.

If any fluid or other component is in the packaged food and is identified for consumption, such as in the name, description or instructions, it may be included in the net quantity statement.

If any fluid or other component is not identified for consumption or is in a state that prevents its consumption, such as fluid contained within absorbent packing materials or soaker pads, it should not be included in the net quantity statement.

For more information see:

Notice icon NOTE

Testing must be conducted on packages in the same condition that they are or intended to be when on sale at retail or the storage recommendation made by the packer or importer on the package label.

Test procedure to establish net weight

The following procedure has been developed to help Trading Standards Officers, packers or importers determine whether the stated net weight on prepackaged cured or preserved fish products is correct.

Procedure

Required equipment

You’ll need the following equipment for the testing procedure:

  • Suitable weighing instrument
  • Tray to place fish on
  • Scissors
  • Palette knife or similar blunt bladed instrument
  • Latex gloves
  • Calculator
  • Stopwatch

Step 1

  • Record the product name, batch number/ID and stated net weight of product.

label showing product information

Step 2

  • Place empty tray on weighing instrument and push the 'Tare' button.
  • Remove tray.

taring tray on scale

Step 3

  • Put on latex gloves and use scissors to open product packaging.
  • Remove everything identified for consumption and place on the tray, ensuring any materials identified not for consumption remain with the packaging.
    • To minimise handling, use a palette knife to remove the fish from the packaging.
    • To include any fluid that is identified for consumption, allow for a 20 second drainage time using the stopwatch.
  • Place tray on weighing instrument and record the actual net weight.
  • Remove tray and fish from weighing instrument.

sliced salmon being weighed

Step 4

  • Zero the weighing instrument.
  • Place packaging, including any materials identified not for consumption, on the weighing instrument.
  • Record the packaging weight.

empty manufacturers packaging being weighed

Step 5

  • Calculate any error by subtracting the actual net weight of fish from the stated net weight.

Calculator

Example of recording quantity checks for packers or importers

Product Name Batch Number / ID Stated Net Weight (g) Actual Net Weight (g) Error (g) Packing Material Weight (g) Pass / Fail
Sliced Salmon 00112233 100 105.0 5 19.0 Pass
Mackerel Fillet 00224466 200 192.0 - 8 25.0 Fail

Penalties for breaching the weights and measures legislation

Selling short quantity packaged goods

It's an offence if the weight, measure or number of goods in the package is less than that stated on the package or label.

If your goods are found by a Trading Standards Officer to be short of their stated net quantity, you may be subject to an enforcement action under Section 16A of the Weights and Measures Act 1987.

For more information see:

Selling packaged goods not marked as prescribed

It’s an offence if a packaged good is not marked as prescribed.

If your goods are determined by a Trading Standards Officer to not meet the marking requirements, you may be subject to an enforcement action under Regulation 80 of the Weights and Measures Regulations 1999.

For more information see:

Trading Standards visits and inspections

Trading Standards inspections

Visits by Trading Standards Officers