1. General provisions:

1.1. This Regulation prescribes the metrologic requirements for goods labeled and packed in same quantities by weight or volume (hereinafter called pre-packed goods for short), which are used for checking pre-packed goods on the list of goods subject to the State management over metrology, issued by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment.

This document may be used as a reference for application to pre-packed goods not on the above-mentioned list.

1.2. Organizations and individuals manufacturing, importing, re-packing (re-bottling), packing and/or trading in pre-packed goods (on the above-mentioned list (hereinafter called enterprises for short) must ensure their goods be pre-packed in right quantities under this Regulation.

1.3. The General Department of Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control shall have to organize the checking of pre-packed goods. The checking of pre-packed goods shall be conducted at enterprises.

1.4. The terms used in this Regulation are construed as follows:

1.4.1. Pre-packed goods are goods quantified and packed without the customers� witness.

1.4.2. Set quantity (Qn) of a pre-packed goods is the goods quantity inscribed on packages.

1.4.3. Net quantity (Qr) of a pre-packed goods unit is the net quantity of goods contained in a package, which is net weight for goods packed by weight, or net volume for goods packed by volume.

1.4.4. Permitted minimum quantity (Qmin) of a pre-packed goods unit is the difference between the set quantity (Qn) and the permitted deficiency limit (T) specified in Table 1.

1.4.5. Unsuitable pre-packed goods units (called unsuitable units for short) are pre-packed goods units with net quantities (Qr) smaller than the permitted minimum quantity (Qmin).

1.4.6. A pre-packed goods lot (called lot for short) is a collection of pre-packed goods units with the same set quantity and packed under the same condition.

1.4.7. Lot size (N) is the number of pre-packed goods units of a lot.

At enterprises re-packing (re-bottling) goods, the lot size shall be calculated as the number of pre-packed goods units put into store at a time, which, however, must not exceed 10,000 units. At manufacturing enterprises, the lot size shall be calculated as the hourly output of a packing chain, which, however, in this case, may exceed 10,000 units.

1.5 Pre-packed goods must be labeled under the current law provisions on goods labeling.

2. Metrologic requirements

2.1. Permitted deficiency limits

The permitted deficiency limits of pre-packed goods with set quantities Qn are prescribed in Table 1 below:

Table 1

(*) Note: The value T shall be rounded up to one tenth of g (or ml) for Qn equal to 1,000 g (or ml) or smaller, and up to one g (or ml) for Qn larger than 1,000 g (or ml).

2.2. Average value

2.2.1. Upon checking 100% of a pre-packed goods lot, the average value of its net quantity Qtb must not be smaller than the set quantity Qn.

2.2.2. Upon checking pre-packed goods lots by the sampling method, the average value of net quantity Xtb must not be smaller than the value prescribed below:

t
Xtb � Qn - �� s
n

in which:

- n is the number of checked samples;

- t is the constant Student corresponding to P = 99%;

- s is the average squared disparity between the net quantities of the samples calculated according to the following formula:

1 n
s = ��� S (Xi - Xtb )2
n- 1 i = 1

With Xi being the net quantity of the ith unit in the sample.

2.3. Number of unsuitable units

2.3.1. Upon checking 100% of a pre-packed goods lot, the number of unsuitable units therein must not exceed 2% of the lot size (N), in which there is no pre-packed goods unit having the quantitative deficiency more than twice the permitted deficiency limit.

2.3.2. Upon checking a pre-packed goods lot by the sampling method, the number of unsuitable units in the samples must not be larger than the permitted number of unsuitable units, which varies from one to another sampling method.

3. Checking

3.1. For goods quantitatively pre-packed by weight:

The net weight of each pre-packed goods unit shall be determined by weighing such unit to determine its gross weight, then subtracting the package�s weight.

3.2. For goods quantitatively pre-packed by volume:

The net volume of each pre-packed goods units shall be determined by the direct or indirect method.

The direct method: To measure the liquid with a measuring equipment (a measuring pot with a pre-set volume or a measuring tube with pre-set degrees).

The indirect method: To determine the goods volume by weighing it so as to determine its weight and specific weight.

3.3. The sampling methods used for checking pre-packed goods shall be prescribed by the General Department of Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control.

For the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment
Vice Minister
BUI MANH HAI