To be fair a great number of our ‘measurements’ are averages under law. One that has been mentioned is the ‘e’ on prepacked foods.
While weight is not alcohol content much of the data on labels is average, not explicit per package although a requirement to be within some tolerances are usual.
A product such as wine, as was stated previously, will have a variation from cask to cask, and product made in real oak will be more variable than that from stainless vats with oak chips. In a practical sense standards does a reasonable thing in my view.
If a label stated 14.0% and an activist consumer tested it at 14.2% or 13.8% what outcome would be correct? Change production methodology? Get a gift card? Change labels to 14.0%+/-0.5% ?
I am not aware additives have been quantified, and the ingredients on a product label are listed with the ingredients used in the greatest amount first, followed in descending order by those in smaller amounts not by quantity or weight or percentage as a general rule.
Labelling or a section or special signage to highlight lower (average) alcohol wines may be helpful to some consumers. Going the next step on what is a naturally variable product?
