Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011: The central government recently amended the legal metrology (packaged commodities) rules 2011.

Key Points:

• It has been amended for ease of doing business and reducing the compliance burden for the garment or hosiery sold in loose or open.
• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution brought amendments to this effect in the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011, following various representations.
• Therefore, Department of Consumer Affairs vide the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) (Third Amendment) Rules, 2022 exempted the garment or hosiery industry selling garment or hosiery items in loose or open, for ease of doing business and reducing the compliance burden, from declaring the following:

1. Common/ generic name of the commodity
2. Net qty. in std. unit of W or M or no. of commodity in the package
3. Unit sale price
4. Month and year of manufacture or pre-packing or import
5. Best before or use by date, month and year  in case of commodity becoming unfit for human consumption with time
6. Consumer Care name & address

Now only the following information relevant to consumers is to be given:

1. Name and address of the manufacturer/ marketer/ brand owner/ importer with country of origin or manufacture in case of imported products,
2. Consumer care email id and phone number,
3. Sizes with internationally recognizable size indicators such as S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL along with details in metric notation in terms of cm or m and
4. Maximum retail price (MRP).

Significance:

• The changes to the rules have been done to ensure ease of doing business by reducing compliance burden to industries without compromising the interest of consumers by declaring the information relevant to consumers.

Additional Info:

About Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011:

• Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 regulates pre-packaged commodities in India and inter – alia mandate certain labelling requirements prior to sale of such commodities.

Nodal Agency:

• The nodal agency for carrying out the Act is the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Objective:

• The main objective of Legal Metrology is to ensure public guarantee from the point of view of security and accuracy of the weighments and measurements and any other matter that is connected to the same.

• According to the Act, the Union Government may appoint a Director of Legal Metrology to perform duties related to inter-state trade and commerce.
• The State Government may appoint a Controller of Legal Metrology to perform duties related to intra-state trade and commerce.

What means Legal Metrology?

• Legal metrology means that part of metrology which treats units of weighment and measurement, methods of weighment and measurement and weighing and measuring instruments, in relation to the mandatory technical and legal requirements which have the objects of ensuring public guarantee from the point of view of security and accuracy of the weighments and measurements.

What do you mean by protection in Legal Metrology?

• Protection in Legal Metrology refers to the utilization of reading obtained from any weight or measure to determine the appropriate course of action to be followed, either individually or collectively, to ensure the safety of any person or animal, or to protect any good, plant, or other item.

What is a Pre-packaged commodity?

Pre-packaged commodities are those that are put in a packaging of any kind, whether sealed or not, without the buyer being present so that the quantity of the product inside is fixed.