[USMA:37404] Re: Losing the battle by inches | Chicago Tribune

[Phil Chernack]

You are correct that the “rule of 1000” should apply but I have not seen it on bottled water.  I drink Poland Springs and the bottles are labeled “.5 liter” with the wrapping stating ½ liter bottles.  My guess is that the marketing folks seem to think that most people will recognize and visualize a liter (or fraction thereof) easier than relate 500 ml as the same thing.  Legally speaking, the label for the quantity should state 500 ml.  There is nothing prohibiting the manufacturer from putting 0.5 L anywhere else on the bottle though.   Phil   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2006 12:27 PM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:37403] Re: Losing the battle by inches | Chicago Tribune   I haven't seen U.S. metric-only labeling (it is not legal yet), but I have certainly seen metric-only advertising. Store marquees and shelf tags hawk liter-sized beverages. I even saw a convenience store marquee that was thinking decimal metric when it said "Ozarka Spring Water 0.5 LITER."  While we are supposed to follow the rule of 1000 in the U.S. (a unit of less than one gets stated in its submultiple, e.g., 500 mL instead of 0.5 L), I saw liters expressed in decimal submultiples on Coca Cola and other bottled beverages in Germany. I kinda liked that, even though it wasn't very instructional (didn't let people use SI prefixes).   Mike,I am certain that if the FPLA amendment went into effect now, and Coca Cola removed the non-metric labeling from its liter-sized bottles, no American, save the anti-metric fanatics (there are some) would notice or complain.  I think I can say that, as far as the people of the U.S. are concerned, the liter is the psychological standard of measurement for carbonated beverages, and removing the non-metric statement would not at all be unfair to U.S. consumers.  That is why that, during National Metric Week, I wrote to a Coca Cola official urging his company to round the vending machine bottles from 591 mL to 600 mL, so they'd be labeled "600 mL (20.3 fl.oz.)." ----- Original Message ----- From: Mike Millet To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: 06 Oct 21,Saturday 10:11 Subject: [USMA:37402] Re: Losing the battle by inches | Chicago Tribune   Interesting article. Thanks for posting it . I haven't seen any packages being sold with solely metric units on them though from what I can recall of my trips to various stores. I've seen packages with the metric label first like dishwasher soap book tape and several other items, but never metric only. At Best Buy where I work we do have several price signs that mistakenly got printed that were SI only (3m network cables for example). No customers have complained, nor do they complain when I give them ranges on things like wireless in meters either so maybe it's not as unknown in the US as people would have us believe. Anyone else seen metric only package labels in their travels? Mike On 10/21/06, Nat Hager III < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Chicago Tribune... http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-0610140259oct15,0,6507234.story?col l=chi-travel-hed Nat -- "The boy is dangerous, they all sense it why can't you?"