Vermont Recognizes National Weights and Measures Week: March 1-7, 2022
By Marc Paquette, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
State and local jurisdictions throughout the country are celebrating Weights and Measures Week which takes place the first seven days of March every year. The date for Weights and Measures Week commemorates the signing of the first United States weights and measures law by President John Adams on March 2, 1799. The evolution of a uniform system of weights and measures has had a profound and necessary impact on society and government. It provides uniformity and confidence in the marketplace for both consumers and businesses. All participants in an economy are more likely to engage openly in trade if they are assured of fairness in transactions. Weights and Measures programs contribute greatly to economic development by promoting equity in the marketplace to all stakeholders.
The Weights & Measures (W&M) program part of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. State inspectors work diligently to ensure accurate and correct devices are used for sales of goods and services to consumers. Staff inspect and test all types of scales, gas station pumps, meters on both oil and propane trucks, packages, and conduct price verification inspections (scanners) in grocery stores. The program also maintains a National Institute of Standards & Technology recognized calibration laboratory.
This year we would like to highlight some of the work the W&M Metrology Laboratory does to maintain accurate instruments for the maple syrup industry. Hydrometers are instruments used for measuring the density of liquids. When used in the production of maple syrup or sale of sap it measures the sugar content in the liquid. All maple syrup hydrometers sold in Vermont and used in the production of syrup and all sap hydrometers used to derive a selling price for sap are required by Vermont Maple Law & Regulation to be tested and approved by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. To comply with this requirement the W&M Metrology Laboratory provides testing to ensure that these hydrometers are within legally prescribed tolerances, ensuring that maple syrup meets the highest standards nation-wide for density and that sap hydrometers determine an accurate sugar content to ensure equity between the buyers and sellers of maple sap.
The lab tests hydrometers manufactured in multiple states and several foreign countries. Distributors of maple hydrometers are located throughout the maple producing regions of North America. Hydrometers have been submitted by distributors for testing from many states including New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New York, Wisconsin, Indiana, Connecticut, and Michigan. Vermont maple producers may submit their previously used hydrometers to the lab for tolerance testing to confirm they are still accurate for use.
The number of hydrometers tested by the lab attest to the vibrant North American maple industry, as the submissions for testing from multiple state distributers highlight the continued leadership role the state of Vermont plays in this expanding and dynamic marketplace. Recent numbers of hydrometers tested include: 8,832 in 2021, 7,459 in 2020, and 8,568 in 2019. Over the last decade the Vermont lab has tolerance tested approximately 85,000 syrup and sap hydrometers.
A short YouTube clip on the Agency’s role in hydrometer testing:
Weights & Measures programs exist world-wide with some regional regulations based on local economies and products produced. Weights and Measures Week serves as a reminder of the great value consumers receive from these programs. These programs impact businesses, consumers, and both local and international economies. The next time you purchase maple syrup, gasoline, take a trip to the grocery store, or receive a delivery of fuel at your home, remember that the Weights and Measures Program is working diligently to ensure accuracy, fairness, and consumer protection in the marketplace.
For more information about the Agency of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures program, contact Marc Paquette, Weights and Measures Chief by email marc.paquette@vermont.gov or by phone 802-828-2426.