Effective from Thursday, companies can sell 19 items in specified sizes only

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Starting Thursday, manufacture, packing or import of 19 commodities of daily use, including bread, biscuits and tea, in non-standard sizes will invite penal action.

Baby food, weaning food, biscuits, bread, butter, coffee, tea, cereals, pulses, milk powder, salt, edible oils, rice and wheat flour, aerated soft drink, drinking water, cement and paints the commodities that manufacturers are required to pack and sell in standard sizes.

However, non-standard packs, which have already been manufactured and packed on or before October 31, 2012 and are ready for sale in different retail outlets, have been exempted from penal action, according to an official release.

The Controllers of Legal Metrology in all the states and Union Territories have been asked to ensure strict compliance of the order.

"In the interest of common consumer, from today onwards 19 commodities of day-to-day use, like bread, biscuits, tea etc., can be sold in specified standard packs only. Manufacture, packing or import of these commodities in non-standard packs will invite penal action," said the release.

Following complaints regarding unfair reduction in the quantity of packaged products from consumer organisations, the government had amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 and issued a notice in June for mandatory implementation of the new norms from November 1.