Illinois Department of Agriculture celebrates Weights and Measures
Week
Send a link to a friend
[March 06, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois
Department of Agriculture is observing National Weights and Measures
Week, March 1-7, to recognize the efforts of its employees who work
behind the scenes to make sure consumers get what they pay for.
|
"Almost everything we buy, from a gallon of gas to a pound of
ground beef, is sold by weight, volume, length, count or
measure," said Agriculture Director Bob Flider. "The fact
consumers rarely question the accuracy of weights and measures
is an indication our employees are doing their job to ensure
fairness in the marketplace. I commend them for their hard work,
not only this week that is set aside in their honor, but also
every other week of the year." Employees in the Bureau of
Weights and Measures use highly accurate equipment to inspect
scales at supermarkets, warehouses, packing plants, feed mills,
shipping companies and hardware stores, as well as meters at gas
stations and motor fuel terminals. Last year, more than 128,000
devices were tested.
"The accuracy of their testing equipment is ensured by our
Metrology Lab," said Doug Rathbun, bureau chief. "The lab, which
recently was recertified by the Institute of Standards and
Technology, calibrates the equipment to meet exacting national
standards. Use of those standards means a gallon or pound of
product will be the same in Illinois as it is in every other
state."
[to top of second column] |
Weights and Measures Week was proclaimed to commemorate the
signing of the first United States weights and measures law by
John Adams on March 2, 1799.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Agriculture
file received from the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
|