Shopkeepers' fury as EU prepares to ban selling eggs by the dozen

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...sold-kilo.html

EU to ban selling eggs by the dozen: Shopkeepers' fury as they are told all food must be weighed and sold by the kilo

British shoppers are to be banned from buying eggs by the dozen under new regulations approved by the European Parliament. For the first time, eggs and ­other products such as oranges and bread rolls will be sold by weight instead of by the number contained in a packet. Until now, Britain has been exempt from EU regulations that forbid the selling of goods by number. But last week MEPs voted to end Britain’s deal despite objections from UK members. The new rules will mean that instead of packaging telling shoppers a box contains six eggs, it will show the weight in grams of the eggs inside, for example 372g.

Or that a bag of white rolls has 322g inside instead of half a dozen. The rules will not allow both the weight and the quantity to be displayed. Last night, Britain’s Food Standards Agency said it was opposed to the move, putting the UK on a potential collision course with Brussels. It could be the first test of David Cameron’s pre-Election promise to stand up for Britain’s interests in the EU. Eggs have traditionally been sold by the dozen or half-dozen, because the old imperial measurements such as inches or pennies were calculated in groups of 12. Early in the 20th Century, eggs were sold from trays on shop counters and carried home in paper bags. But between the two world wars, it was discovered that eggs kept longer if they were left standing on their ends, so the cartons of 12 and six were developed. Last night, an FSA spokeswoman said: ‘This proposal would disallow selling by numbers. Retailers would not be allowed to put “Six eggs” on the front of the box. If it was a bag of rolls, it would say “500g” instead of six rolls.

‘It is important that information is provided in a way that is meaningful and beneficial to consumers. This issue is still being considered by EU member states and it will be some time before the regulation is finalised.’ The move could cost retailers millions of pounds because of changes they will have to make to packaging and labelling, as well as the extra burden of weighing each box of food before it is put on sale. The cost is likely to be passed on to shoppers through higher grocery bills. Experts say it will be next year before the EU is able to pass the controversial measure, which bureaucrats say is designed to help consumers make an informed choice when buying their food because it will require suppliers to provide more comprehensive information.

But last night, food industry experts said the EU plan was ‘bonkers’ and ‘absolute madness’. Federation of Bakers director Gordon Polson warned that it may be too late to change the rules, even though they will be debated further in the European Parliament. He revealed that lobbyists had already tried to rectify the regulations, discovered in the 174 pages of amendments to the initial 75-page proposal, but there was not enough time to convince MEPs before the crucial vote. The British Retail Consortium, which represents 90 per cent of UK shops, will ask Government Ministers to press for the decision to be reversed.

This is what we pay for the sham EU parliament to spend its time doing, constantly overruling British laws and traditions and we are powerless to prevent it occuring. Why should German, French or Czech MEPs decide what weights and measurements the British people and its shops use? - a German, French or Czech MEP will be voting (you'd think anyway) for something thats best for their countries interests, not the interests of the United Kingdom so why are we part of this crazy and despotic project called the European Union?

The imperial measurements and weights system was designed through use and is practical whereas the metric system was desinged by Napoleons bureaucrats and has no familiarity in this country and is a stupid measurement system to say the least. To sell eggs by the weight rather than the number just proves this but of course common sense doesnt enter the heads of those within the EU and its fellow insitutions - we must all be harmonised, all made equal to continue and build their crazy notion of a common European identity of which no such thing exists or ever will exist.

Thoughts?

[dbgtz]

waste of time
waste of money
im actually LOLING at this

why change something which isn't broken?

[Special]

what's the point? they all weigh the same with about 2 grams between then anyway

[Catzsy]

I think you will find that the imperial measures were re-classified as legal in this country a couple of years ago much to the relief of market traders and other retailers so they can choose what system they used. I do not see this changing as it was never enforced in the first place,

[MrPinkPanther]

Catzsy's right. This isn't real.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I think you will find that the imperial measures were re-classified as legal in this country a couple of years ago much to the relief of market traders and other retailers so they can choose what system they used. I do not see this changing as it was never enforced in the first place,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-measures.html

(from 3:05)

This appears to still be going on, and like usual with the European Union - it may back down sometimes, but like now in this example it is back again and will continue to come back with its laws. It did it with the EU Consitution/Lisbon Treaty, is apparently dropped the flag and anthem but then later slid it through the parliament meaning that we eventually got the EU Consitution anyway despite the fact the French, Dutch and Irish had all said no.

[MrPinkPanther]

No one is stopping anyone selling eggs by the dozen, they will continue to do so like they always have. What is ACTUALLY is is it's sensible legislation to ensure that all Eggs are roughly the weights that they say they are ensuring a fairer price for the end consumer. I mean we all see "large eggs" on the box but what actually constitutes large? This legislation is simply used to monitor that companies are putting in the box what they say they are preventing consumers from being "ripped off".

[Catzsy]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-measures.html

(from 3:05)

This appears to still be going on, and like usual with the European Union - it may back down sometimes, but like now in this example it is back again and will continue to come back with its laws. It did it with the EU Consitution/Lisbon Treaty, is apparently dropped the flag and anthem but then later slid it through the parliament meaning that we eventually got the EU Consitution anyway despite the fact the French, Dutch and Irish had all said no.

Well I cannot see it being implemented for my reasons above but I have voted 'refuse' above.

[-:Undertaker:-]

No one is stopping anyone selling eggs by the dozen, they will continue to do so like they always have. What is ACTUALLY is is it's sensible legislation to ensure that all Eggs are roughly the weights that they say they are ensuring a fairer price for the end consumer. I mean we all see "large eggs" on the box but what actually constitutes large? This legislation is simply used to monitor that companies are putting in the box what they say they are preventing consumers from being "ripped off".

I think we all know what a large egg is, infact I am pretty sure most people understand the words 'dozen large eggs' rather than '372g'. :rolleyes:

[Meanies]

thats just stupid, but even if it does happen, nothing was said about how they'd be packaged? so companies can still use the same packaging and people can recognise how many are in a box that way instead, which is what i do when mum asks me to go get eggs anyway