What Are Trade Approved Scales and Do I Need Them?
When shopping for weighing equipment, you’ve likely seen the term ‘trade approved’ banded about on some products. If a scale is trade-approved, it means that it has been approved by the relevant authority for the sale of products, this is based on official guidelines or standards. When selling products based on their weight, you need to make sure you’re using trade-approved scales to weigh your materials or products whenever necessary.
It is a legal requirement that weighing equipment for legal and trading purposes is accurate and appropriate for its purpose, hence you must use trade-approved weighing scales if those circumstances apply to you and your business.
One example of the type of business where you’d need approved scales would be selling food like fruit and vegetables, or meat by the kilogram if you’re a butcher. Another would be selling barrels of ale, where you sell a barrel based on it being a certain weight, or in pharmaceuticals where you sell capsules that need to be 10mg for example.
If the sale or price of a product is dependent on its weight, you need scales with trade approval.
So, what exactly is the difference between scales that are trade approved and those that aren’t? The answer is simple, there is no operational difference, no additional features or attachments for example. Crucially though, approved scales have been certified by the relevant authority, like the Food Standards Agency (FSA) here in the UK, to adhere and comply with the necessary regulations. The FSA will check and certify a scale for trade, at which point the relevant stamps, stickers, or markings are added to the scale to indicate its trade approval.
If you need to add any trade-approved weighing scales to your business, we’ve got you covered. At Scale Supply UK, we have a number of different scales to suit your business requirements, including bench scales and column scales, higher capacity platform scales, and weighbeams. Take a look at our trade-approved range here.
With many years of experience, our team is able to provide customers with a range of trade-approved or non-approved weighing scales, available for purchase online. Click here to browse our range of scales, or get in touch with us here if you have any queries.
