Estimated sign

℮
Estimated sign
In UnicodeU+212E ℮ ESTIMATED SYMBOL
Different from
Different fromU+0065 e LATIN SMALL LETTER E
Estimated sign specification

The estimated sign, ℮, also referred to as the e-mark or estimated quantity (French: quantité estimée) can be found on most prepackaged products in the European Union (EU). Its use indicates that the prepackage fulfils EU Directive 76/211/EEC, which specifies the maximum permitted tolerances in package content.

The shape and dimensions of the e-mark are defined in EU Directive 2009/34/EC.[1] The e-mark is also used on prepackages in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

Functions

The estimated sign indicates that:

  • the average quantity of product in a batch of prepackages shall not be less than the nominal quantity stated on the label;
  • the proportion of individual prepackages having a negative error greater than the tolerable negative error shall be sufficiently small for batches of prepackages to satisfy the requirements of the official reference test as specified in legislation;
  • none of the prepackages marked have a negative error greater than twice the tolerable negative error (since no such prepackage may bear the sign).

The scope of the directive is limited to prepackages that have a predetermined nominal weight of between 5 g and 10 kg or volume of 5 ml and 10 L, are filled without the purchaser present, and in which the quantity cannot be altered without opening or destroying the packing material.

Absolute error tolerances
Relative error tolerances. The percentages are rounded up to the nearest 0.1 g.
Table showing calculated TNE's and the relevant weights

The sign looks like a stylised lowercase "e" and its shape, ℮, is precisely defined by the European Union Directive 2009/34/EC. It must be placed in the same field of vision as the nominal quantity. The sign has been added to the Unicode list of characters as U+212E ℮ ESTIMATED SYMBOL.

Tolerable negative error

Error tolerance decreases as nominal quantity increases, by alternating intervals of a given percentage error with intervals of a given amount error: these interpolate between the stepwise decreases in percentage error. The estimated sign indicates that the average quantity of product in a batch of prepackages is not less than the nominal quantity stated on the label.

The tolerable negative error is related to the nominal quantity and varies between 9 per cent on prepackages nominally 50 g or 50 ml or less, to 1.5 per cent on prepackages nominally 1 kilogram or 1 litre or more. The tolerable error decreases as nominal quantity increases, and is done by alternating intervals where there is a percentage error and intervals where there is a fixed error (and thus over those intervals the percentage error decreases).

Table of tolerable negative errors
Nominal quantity
in g or ml 		Tolerable negative
error
5–50 9%
50–100 4.5 units
100–200 4.5%
200–300 9 units
300–500 3%
500–1000 15 units
1000–10000 1.5%

See also

References

  1. ^ Directive 2009/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 relating to common provisions for both measuring instruments and methods of metrological control (Recast) (Text with EEA relevance), vol. OJ L, 28 April 2009, retrieved 28 January 2019