Weighing fruit in the supermarket is a seemingly simple routine, but it may be more expensive than you think. Many consumers make small mistakes when using the balance, without realizing it, and eventually pay more than they should. Among automatic gestures and common distractions, consumption experts warn that the sum of these failures over time can represent several lost euros.
The error that almost all make
One of the most frequent mistakes is to support the bag, or even the hand, on the scale as we weigh the fruit. This simple gesture adds extra weight and raises the final value.
Another recurring error is to choose the wrong code, which can prevent discounts and result in a higher price.
According to the US Supermarket News, specializing in food flap, the Whole Foods chain has recognized “inadvertent errors” of weighing and labeling in several New York stores, explaining that human flaws and scales calibration problems can lead to differences in paid value.
Similar situations can happen in any store, especially when there is a large volume of customers and equipment turnover.
In the United States, NBC San Diego, NBC regional channel, focused on local news, advises consumers to always check the bead before leaving the supermarket and even photographing the fruit label so they can complain in case of error.
Weight fraud and inspection
These mistakes, albeit often unintentional, fall into the concept of “weight fraud”, which occurs when the product is labeled or heavy incorrectly, showing more grams than real ones.
This phenomenon is regulated by international standards that require periodic business calibration and certification, according to the same source.
In Portugal, the (IPQ) is the entity responsible for overseeing these equipment, ensuring that the indicated weight corresponds to the real. However, errors caused by distraction or incorrect use by the consumer remain common.
How to ensure that it pays the fair value
To avoid unpleasant surprises, there are simple measures that can adopt:
- Make sure the bag is totally out of the balance before weighing.
- Use the “Tara” button when available to discount the weight of the bag.
- Check that the code corresponds exactly to the heavy product.
- Confirm the value in the bead before leaving the store.
These are small details, but make a difference. By avoiding these mistakes, it ensures that the price it pays for fruit is fair, and prevents lost cents with each purchase from becoming euros at the end of the year.
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