I've checked the volume (gallon in a 4-litre jug). I wrote the article
about the new 4-litre jug in Metric Today.
Costco has prepared for the conversion to selling milk in 4-litre jugs.
If one goes to the USMA article, it tells and shows how much more efficient the
4-litre container design is than current 4-gallon milk containers. It's a
matter of cost reduction and efficiency in packaging and handling while moving
toward metric.
Stan Doore
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeremiah MacGregor
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 1:41 PM
Subject: [USMA:43431] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
Are you sure it only contains one US gallon if it is in a 4 L container? It
just may be labeled as one gallon to keep it simple. Have you verified the
fill to know for sure?
Jerry
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Carleton MacDonald <carlet...@comcast.net>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Saturday, March 7, 2009 11:44:20 AM
Subject: [USMA:43415] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
A pint of milk certainly doesn’t seem like a lot, so I wonder why they
delivered such a small size. In our house we go through three large Costco
bottles a week. (These are the rectangular four-liter bottles that Costco
fills with only one US gallon.)
Carleton
From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of
Ken Cooper
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 10:46
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:43408] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one notices!
Along with practically every other specified quantity, milk package
sizes are being deregulated in the UK on 11th April.
http://www.nwml.gov.uk/fileuploads/Docs/Legislation/SFQ/Government_Response_on_Specified_Quantities_for_Pre-packages_Jan_09.pdf
and
http://www.nwml.gov.uk/fileuploads/Docs/Legislation/SFQ/Guidance_for_Business_on_Specified_Quantities_for_Pre-packages_Jan_09.pdf
To be honest, I expect the packers who currently use returnable
containers to continue to use the same bottles. I would point out, however,
that this sector has been in decline for many years. Here's the Office of Fair
Trading's viewpoint on the sector:-
"Doorstep delivery has declined for a number of years, while the retail
supply of milk has increased. For example, the rate of doorstep decline was 19
per cent for the 12 weeks to 29 February 2004 according to TNS Superpanel data.
This would suggest that switching from doorstep to other forms of supply has
taken place, and since these changes appear to continue, that such switching
would remain a competitive constraint on doorstep deliveries.."
I would further point out that milk in returnable containers is not
available anywhere in my locality. The last local deliveryman went out of
business nearly 10 years ago.
The vast majority of milk sold in the UK is packed in metric measure in
non-returnable containers. Some of the prescribed measures used are the metric
equivalent of imperial measures, but the milk is packed by reference to metric
measure.
Reading previous postings to this site might lead you to believe that
all UK milk is sold in imperial measure, but this impression has been fostered
by careful use of half-truths.
For example, "Fresh'n'Lo" & "Cravendale" advertise extensively in the
UK. Both these companies sell in rounded metric amounts. As far as I am aware,
Cravendale use 1 litre & 2 litre non-returnable plastic containers only.
Fresh'n'lo use similar 1, 2 & 3 litre containers, and also do a 500ml waxed
cardbard pack.
Neither firm produce "rounded imperial" packages.
There are many other firms (including major supermarket chains) that
already pack in rounded metric quantities. Remember that current UK law permits
the following prescribed quantities
189 – 200 – 250 – 284 – 500 – 750 – multiples of 284 and 500. Exempt:
50 ml or less.
Its only the highly misleading half-truths perpetuated by extreme
pro-imps that has led to the mistaken belief that UK milk production is in
imperial.
The vast majority is packed in metric, and some (probably a good
majority) is marked in both systems. The packages that are marked in both
systems are ALWAYS measured in metric.
I don't really see the abolition of prescribed quantities changing
this, but will be interested to see the effect of the law changes on the status
of the pint for draught beer & milk in returnable containers. The new
regulations will be published in the near future.
--- On Sat, 3/7/09, Jeremiah MacGregor
<jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com> wrote:
From: Jeremiah MacGregor <jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Re: [USMA:43383] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one
notices!
To: k_cooper1...@yahoo.com, "U.S. Metric Association"
<usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009, 4:37 AM
Ken,
Are you telling us that in April the requirement to use the pint for
returnable milk containers will be no longer? Even though I don't expect those
who still use the 568 mL size to go to other sizes over night, would you expect
that over time there could be a gradual shift to the 500 mL (or other size)
container?
Jerry
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ken Cooper <k_cooper1...@yahoo.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2009 7:53:15 PM
Subject: [USMA:43383] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and no-one
notices!
Well Steve, you might as well mention the "pint" as a UK
measure for all these products for one last time!
Have you "forgotten" that the majority of prescibed quantities
(apart from draught beer) are being abolished in April? That's odd, because
I've definitely pointed it out to you..........
I fail to see your point regarding baby food & liquid fuel.
Both are sold by reference to metric measure in the UK. I can provide
references to legislation or to practical examples if you want. Is your
reference to "descriptively" just meant to be an admission that they are not
used for quantitative terms?
I will agree that a few UK pubs defy UK law by describing soft
drinks by the half pint. So what? Is it common? Do the pubs that do it
subscribe to the views of yourself or other anti-metric zealots? Do you
consider this to be a demand to return to outdated measurement units?
I would love to see your proof that fl. oz. are common meaures
in UK pubs, however. As far as I'm aware, that stopped in 1996. That's 13 years
ago! Please expand upon your theories!
But yes. On one point you are right. The UK doesn't tend to use
the quart. Especially the 946ml quart. It has never existed in the UK.
But the 1.136 litre milk bottle has NEVER been marked as a
quart in the UK within my memory. That's because imperial doesn't tend to be
marked in the UK any more. And if it is, it doesn't tend to be quarts or fl oz.
I'll look forward to your reply :):):)
--- On Fri, 3/6/09, Stephen Humphreys <barkatf...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
From: Stephen Humphreys <barkatf...@hotmail.com>
Subject: [USMA:43369] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and
no-one notices!
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Date: Friday, March 6, 2009, 11:48 PM
Except for pints of milk, beer and pints used descriptively.
Fl Oz in recipes, baby drink preps
gallons in miles per gallon.
Fl Oz for soft drinks at the pub
We don't tend to use quarts though -maybe that's where you're
entire argument rests.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 15:41:05 -0800
From: jeremiahmacgre...@rocketmail.com
Subject: [USMA:43367] Re: USC units spread to the UK - and
no-one notices!
To: usma@colostate.edu
My guess is that it is provided for the American tourists.
Most Americans don't know a British version exists and those who are British
don't need imperial conversions as they are already fully conversant in
metric... As you already know British volume measures (except for the pint in
limited applications) are dead.
Jerry
--------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ken Cooper <k_cooper1...@yahoo.com>
To: U.S. Metric Association <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 2, 2009 5:39:35 PM
Subject: [USMA:43336] USC units spread to the UK - and no-one
notices!
One of my local hotels hands out small diaries as new
year gifts to customers/visitors etc.
I note that this year's version has a section entitled
"conversions" underneath the time-zones map.
I was intrigued to note that it had different sections
for dry & for liquid measure, and that the liquid measure gave conversions for
fluid ounce, quart & gallon - but not for pint.
On closer examination, I found that the fluid ounce was
defined as 29 and a bit millilitres, the quart as ~946ml & the gallon as ~3.79
litres....
Now, as everyone knows, these figures would be correct
in USC, but are all incorrect in UK imperial.
I'll lay odds that practically no-one actually noticed
though. Can I suggest that this shows the irrelevancy of imperial liquid
measure in the UK? People recognise an imperial pint in the pub, but appear to
be unable to relate it to the smaller (fl. oz.) & larger (gallon) measures in
the system.
What point is there in perpetuating a system where the
majority of people don't understand it any more?
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