Some years back there was a big stink about the fact that under the rules in place for gold standards, 14K gold could be as low as 13K. Needless to say, almost all samples tested were 13K. So there was invented a category called “plumb” gold, whick 14K had to be exactly 14K and it could be marked 14KP. Then most gold pieces were marked 14KP. That has mostly gone by the wayside by now. I don’t know if anyone is still following this.
The point is, whatever the standard, the error is almost always to the low end…
I do believe it is highly regulated and if you report to the Texas Department of Agriculture (assuming its produced in Texas) they will put your complaint into a big list and maybe go and test these folks scales.
Regulatory Programs TDA’s Agricultural and Consumer Protection Division Administers:
LPG Meters, Scales, Grain Warehouses, Egg Law, Plant Quality, Nursery/Floral, Export Certification, Organic Certification, Seed, Aquaculture, Pest Management and Surveys, Cotton, Citrus, Handling and Marketing of Perishable Commodities, Pesticides and Structural Pest Control
The issue isn’t really the accuracy of the scales, but the fact that they are allowed to be wrong by some factor. You know that Walmart, for example, KNOW exactly how ‘wrong’ they are allowed to be and spend millions ensuring their accuracy and precision get them as close as possible to the legal limit to their benefit.
As measurements get more and more accurate, and their production lines get more and more accurate, they are simply going to keep moving the ‘error’ more in their favor.
It is all about the $$s. They have done the cost benefit analysis and know spending some money on more accurate measurements and packaging equipment will allow them to ‘be wrong’ but within the legal limits, to their benefit.
They also know exactly how much it will cost to ‘get caught’, and factor that in too. Just like ATT did. Just like ALL corporations do currently.
Can’t blame them really. Their purpose is to make money. The issue is really that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.