BOTTLES and JARS: What Most Cottage Foodies Get Wrong
Do Net Weight and Net Volume Measure Out the Same?
Dear fellow foodie!
Some dear friends of ours, in the huckleberry product business for over 30 years (2nd longest specialty food manufacturer in Idaho, incorporated in 1993), use the same 4-ounce jam jar that we used (before we sold “Tastes of Idaho” in 2019.)
Funny thing, Net Weight on the label of their jar of jam is listed at 4 ounces. Net Weight on the very same jar for our Idaho Redneck or Gold Mountain Gourmet huckleberry jam read 4.9 ounces on the label.
The 8-ounce jar we both use, same situation. Their label says 8 ounces Net Weight. Ours said 9.4 ounces.
Huckleberry jam in both.
Is our jam bursting with heavy metals?
Are their huckleberries on a diet, and lying about their weight?
Well…yes and no. Mostly no.
The Net Weight you put on your label is the weight of JUST the product, not counting the jar, lid and label.
Net Volume is how jars and bottles are “sized” but those numbers are indexed to water. So a 4-ounce empty jar at the store holds 4 ounces of water.
But that is not Net Weight. More on net weight in ounces vs fluid ounces in just a bit… are you ready for the trivia quiz?
Does your jam or salsa weigh more than water? (I HOPE SOOOOOOOOOO!!) Of course, if you are putting a dry mix in a jar, it might weigh less OR more, right?
Some of you reading this newsletter already know all this, and are rolling your eyes in frustration.
But I’ve seen and heard dozens of cottage foodies with no idea that an 8-ounce jar will hold more than 8 ounces (by weight) of almost all products.
So, to find your Net Weight, you simply weigh an empty jar and lid (which won’t vary much), and then weigh a few full jars, with the lid on.
(Note that if your label is on the jars, be consistent between empty and full.)
After measuring a few full once and doing the subtraction, round down to the lowest difference between empty and full. Your net weight will still be higher than if you just use the nominal jar size. But you will be much closer.
It’s not illegal to list your product at lower than the actual weight. But if the net weight you list is higher than a lot of your actual goodies, you could get a knock on your door from your state bureau of weights and measures.
(Yes, there are actually state agencies that monitor this stuff!)
I remember a story in the newspaper in Nampa, Idaho when I was in high school. A butter manufacturer was consistently producing at a fraction of an ounce under the ONE POUND listed weight of most butter products. Over the runs of 100s of thousands of products in a commercial setting, that came out to a huge competitive savings. The Idaho Bureau of Weights and Measures found out (not sure how), and … nasty fines and some bad press ensued.
Anyway, going back to our friends in the wild huckleberry business since ‘93 just got stuck using the nominal size of the glass on their labels. I pointed out the mistake a couple times, but they are old school (and OLD), and use a label printing service with pre-printed labels on old-style presses several thousand at a time. They did not want to throw away the labels.
Of course, when it came time to order new labels, they make no changes. That would be another set up fee at the printer.
Actually, no one really cares about your net weights, as far as I know, at least in my experience. But there is no point in selling yourself short.
If your competition does not know this “insider” knowledge, and you do, there is a competitive advantage in offering a 9.4 ounce goodie, when your competition wants the same money for 8 ounces. ROFL.
Be sure and point that out to customers!! LOL
The other mistake I see is using Net Weight for Net Volume products.
Just for kicks and giggles, the FDA requirements include listing English and metric. However, cottage food laws generally don’t require this, but…if you grow beyond Cottage Foods you will want to know this.
In other words, generally, Net Weight is listed in tenths of ounces (and grams in parentheses). Net Volume is listed in fluid ounces, also to one decimal (and milliliters in parentheses).
Do you know the difference, when to use one or the other, weight or volume?
Common sense of course, is that liquids are offered on a fluid ounce (and milliliter) basis. More solid products at net weight in ounces and grams.
So here is your Trivia quiz:
Are pickles measured in net weight or volume? Is it about the cukes or the pickle juice?Some products are difficult to discern as to liquid or solid, so … labeling is done by convention. Go to a grocery store and see how the commercial industry handles them!
Things are obvious where jam is net weight, and syrup or vanilla extract is net volume.
But, what about those pesky pickles?
Leave a comment with your best guess, and I will give you the answer in my next transition. Or go to a grocer and be surprised…
Mal Dell
The MONETIZATION CHEF
Helping Foodies Cook Up Profits!
Helpful Resources for Food Business Startups:
Food Handlers Training (Food Safe Pal):
Save $3 OFF the normal $15 fee by using the code: ‘MCHEF12’ at checkout. A fun, doodling technology approved in every state that requires a Food Handlers certificate. 100% online, and print off your certificate (and cards) after you pass the test with an 80%+. Recommended for cottage foodies operating in states that require an ANSI-certified Food Handlers course. And highly recommended in states that do not require any Food Safety training.
Recommended Insurance Options For Cottage and Other Small Food Businesses:
FLIP (Food Liability Insurance Program) - Specializing in insurance for FOOD BUSINESSES ONLY! The top business insurance choice for members of the Cottage Food Business community on Facebook. They know the food industry!
or
NEXT INSURANCE - The top online-only insurance company for almost any kind of small business. With their wide range of business experience, they know all the nuances of how to cover you. Very popular with our CFB community.
DEVELOP BUSINESS CREDIT RELATED TO YOUR EIN!!
THE best starter credit card for any small business is the CapitalOne Spark Card!
PS If you don’t yet enjoy a business credit score, you do need reasonable personal credit. If not, you might wait until you can say you’ve been in business for two years (the minimum threshold for many business cards.)
Perks: Get 1.5% cash back on EVERY purchase, or choose the 1.5% air mileage option, if you travel.
No annual fee. Plus, if you spend $4500 in the first three months, you get $500 rebate on your card. Stock up on packaging, labels, equipment and inventory for a whopping 11% discount out of the box at startup, or beginning of Farmers Market season.
CLICK HERE to see if you quality!
This card is easier to get than just about any other business credit card. As your business grows, you will get more card offers in the mail, allowing you to leverage and piggy back.
(PS Remember that only business interest is deductible on your Schedule C at income tax time!)