Crisp munchers feel cheated by ‘e’ symbol revelation

When it comes to packaging, it’s fair to say most of us haven’t got a clue what half the symbols plastered on it actually mean.

Some signify the use of certain materials, others represent something banal about the manufacturing process, some are just nods to the manufacturer’s various business partners.

If you’ve long-since stopped paying attention to anything other than the icons confirming recyclability, you’re not alone.

As it turns out, there’s one overlooked symbol to which you might want to pay attention.

The 'e' symbol in question - The University of Reading

Specifically, crisp packets feature a symbol that has caused some Facebook users to blow a fuse or two. We know, it doesn’t take much.

One woman leapt onto Facebook when she discovered the ‘true’ meaning of an ‘e’ symbol beside a crisp packet’s weight information.

Purchased from an Aldi in Australia, the 230g packet of crisps harboured a horrifying secret.

Upon weighing the contents, she found the packet actually only contained 157g of crisps.

“How is this okay at all?” she asked. “[We] try to save money by buying from Aldi, but we don't even get the amount on the packet!"

She added: “More than two-thirds of the packet was air - hence why I decided to check it... I put the whole bag with chips in it on the scales first and it was 157g.”

So, what’s going on here? False advertising? Trading standards?

While it may mean different things in different parts of the world, the University of Reading’s Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences explained: “The 'e' mark is used on a label to indicate that the product has been packed according to the requirements of the European Union's average weight rules.”

As such, the symbol is generally found beside the weight information, if at all.

There are particular rules for using the symbol on packaging, too: “It shall be at least 3mm high. It shall be indelible, easily legible and visible in normal conditions of presentation and be placed in the same field of vision as the indication of nominal quantity.”

That's an awful lot of empty space in there - ugurhan via Getty Images

So, in short, if you see the ‘e’ symbol beside weight information, the weight is a rough approximation of what you might be paying for.

It begs the question: why not just provide a consistent weight of material in each packet? We’ve sent people to the moon! We’ve got the sum total of all human knowledge in our pockets! Can we really not consistently weigh out 230g of crisps?

Facebook users have responded with the typical level of criticism: “Not getting what you pay for is a joke, and being so far off the 'e' weight is just ridiculous."

You know what? Fair enough.