Spot checks of scales that are used to weigh unpackaged foods sold at various stalls and stores selling Lunar New Year goods showed that only 1.6 percent of the scales were inaccurate, the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) said yesterday. Moreover, it found that some inaccurate scales actually allowed consumers to get the better end of the deal.
As the holidays are nearing, many consumers are gearing up to shop for holiday goods such as cashews, candies and snacks at traditional markets and -supermarket chains. The prices of many of these unpackaged foods are determined by weight.
Starting weeks ago, the CPC, accompanied by officials from local governments, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) and the Food and Drug Administration, set out to check 759 scales at market stalls and stores in various parts of the country that sell holiday foods.
The CPC found that 12 of the 759 scales were substandard, of which seven scales exceeded the maximum allowable margin of error in the positive (cheating shoppers out of their money), three scales exceeded the maximum allowable margin of error in the negative (giving shoppers more than their money’s worth), one malfunctioned and one did not have a proper approval sticker.
The CPC has put stickers on substandard scales indicating that they are not to be used and is keeping violators on a watch list, commission section chief Wu Cheng-hsueh (吳政學) said.
Businesses that are found to be continuing to use substandard scales could face fines ranging from NT$15,000 to NT$75,000, he said.
The CPC also conducted spot checks on 733 stores and market stalls selling unpackaged holiday snacks and foods, and found 56 businesses violating regulations (a 7.6 percent violation rate) and 103 types of unpackaged foods with inadequate labeling.
Some of the products were not properly labeled with product origin and others were without the product name and other information, which could result in fines of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 under the Food Hygiene Act (食品衛生管理法), Wu said.
All of the violators have been ordered to make improvements immediately and put on a watch list for local officials to conduct follow-up checks, he said.
The CPC said that when shopping for holiday snacks that require weighing, shoppers are advised to look for stickers indicating that the scale being used has been officially approved. To report violations or consumer disputes, consumers can call 1950 for help.
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